WASHINGTON (Kyodo) U.S. pundits voiced concern over the negative impact of the ruling party's setback in the Upper House election on the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. alliance under the leadership of Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
U.S. experts said Sunday's defeat for Kan's Democratic Party of Japan would cast a cloud over the prospects for rebuilding the bilateral alliance, which was damaged by former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's policy flip-flops on the relocation of the Futenma military air base in Okinawa.