From Time Magazine’s Ecocentric blog – June 2, 2011

by Krista Mahr

Naoto Kan, Japan’s beleaguered prime minister, has acknowledged for
the first time since March 11 that he may step down — but not until he’s
done doing what he needs to do. Kan has come under increasing pressure
from both inside and outside his party to give up his post after his
handling of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and continuing nuclear
crisis. In a televised meeting with his party on Thursday morning, Kan
said: “I’d like to pass on my responsibility to a younger generation
once we reach a certain stage in tackling the disaster and I’ve
fulfilled my role.” He did not indicate when that might be.

It was an effort to save his job ahead of a no-confidence motion that
took place 3PM today in the lower house of parliament. The motion,
which would have required Kan to dissolve the parliament and call for
new elections or resign with his Cabinet in 10 days, was voted down 293
to 152. Still, its submission by the main opposition Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP) and two smaller opposition groups underscores the fact that
Japan’s political landscape is nearly as volatile as its geology.

In the months since March 11, Kan has come under fire for his
government’s response to the crisis, from the length of time that it has
taken to build temporary housing for the thousands left homeless after
the tsunami to the lack of clear communication about the severity and
scope of the nuclear crisis that has followed. Indeed, Kan was
peculiarly absent from the public sphere during the first month of the
crisis — he did not set foot in the disaster zone for weeks after the
tsunami — with chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano tirelessly facing world’s cameras.
More recently, detailed reports have emerged that Kan was deeply
involved in trying to prevent a full-blown nuclear fallout at Fukushima
during those early days, which may account for — if not excuse — his
absence.