Japan s Crisis of Leadership

Japan's Crisis of Leadership PREMIER EISAKU SATO has been in office for almost a year, yet it is extremely difficult to find any support for his policy within Japan or even define what his policies are. In the field of foreign affairs the apparent internal changes in Communist China and the American determination to continue the Vietnam war have resulted in an extremely cautious attitude. Foreign Minister Shina claims that America understood that Japan's absence from the Manila Conference was motivated by a possible future mediator's role for Japan if peace overtures should develop. As regards Sino-Japanese mediations, the rapid increase of trade outside the "friendly firms" formula has resulted in a wait-and- see attitude.