Public express shock at Hatoyama's resignation as prime minister

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Breitbart:

TOKYO, June 2 (AP) - (Kyodo)—People throughout Japan expressed shock after Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's announcement Wednesday that he is resigning, with some calling his decision to quit irresponsible amid a plethora of unsolved issues, including the relocation of a key U.S. military base in Okinawa.

"He just ran away from the issue of Okinawa. It's extremely irresponsible to toss away something he started," said Hiroshi Ashitomi, a 63-year-old resident of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, who opposes the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma airfield within the island prefecture. Nago is being eyed by the Japanese and U.S. governments as the relocation site for the air base.

Kenichi Moriyama, 68, another resident of the city, said Hatoyama lacks understanding of Okinawa, which has been hosting U.S. bases for 65 years.

"If he deeply understood (our feelings), his way of negotiating with the U.S. side would have been different," Moriyama said.

The residents have staged massive protest rallies against retaining the base within the prefecture as Hatoyama promised to move it out of Okinawa and even the country in his election campaign last year.

Meanwhile, Yoshiyuki Uehara, deputy Okinawa governor, showed some recognition of Hatoyama's efforts on the relocation issue.

"He worked quite hard for Okinawa, such as showing a stance to lighten the burden on Okinawa of hosting military bases at a meeting of nationwide governors. People may still talk about his efforts for years to come," Uehara said.

Noriyoshi Kawano, a 48-year-old livestock farmer in Miyazaki Prefecture, got to know of Hatoyama's resignation in an e-mail message from a friend while he was helping another farmer slaughter animals infected by foot-and-mouth disease.

"He said the government would do everything it can (to contain the disease) and I wanted him to keep his promises."

On Tuesday, Hatoyama visited the southwestern prefecture and discussed with Miyazaki Gov. Hideo Higashikokubaru steps to help contain the outbreak of the disease among livestock.
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Not sure what this means long-term, except that it sounds like a defeat for the base's opponents and that the base isn't going anywhere anytime soon.