Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan outlines changes to Japan's Diplomacy under the new DPJ administration, Tokyo, Japan, 07/10/2009.
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan outlines changes to Japan's Diplomacy under the new DPJ administration.
One of the issues he addressed was the existence of so-called "Secret Pacts" between Japan and the US that contrary to public policy, the United States was allowed to bring nuclear weapons to Japan and Okinawa's ports.
Documents outlining the pacts have been declassified in the US, yet Japan has continued to deny their existence.
As many of these secret agreements were made in the 1950's and 1960's, he noted that these agreements must be examined in the light of the political climate of the times.
Underlining his commitment to this issue, he issued a directive to investigate on his first day in office, with results due by the end of November.
On the subject of the denials themselves, he mused that it is a difficult thing to say that one's predecessor was lying.
In a very welcome announcement, Okada said he would open the notoriously-closed press conferences to a much wider range of press, including foreign media and freelancers. In appreciation, the FCCJ presented Mr. Okada with a membership to the club.
