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Japan’s Political Tremors

If Japan’s relatively inexperienced government is blamed for everything that goes wrong in the aftermath of the earthquake, Japanese might wish to retreat to the old ways of murky paternalism. But official opacity and obfuscation are the problem, not the solution.

NEW YORK – Rarely – indeed, perhaps not since World War II – have the Japanese had such good press abroad. Even South Korean newspapers have been full of praise for the self-discipline of ordinary Japanese in dire circumstances. And coming from Koreans, not usually Japan’s biggest fans, that is no small thing.

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