Hatoyama entered his prime minister career with a high approval rating. The DPJ promised to end lavish spending on public works projects associated with LDP and to divert that money to tax cuts and subsidies for households. Expectations were high that he would break strongly with the policies of the LDP.
Domestic policy Although Yukio Hatayoma was prime minister for less than a year, he had a wide range of achievements to his name by the time that he left office. Amongst his achievements included: • The introduction of a state subsidy for families with young children. • The abolition of public high school tuition fees. • The introduction of an individual household income support project for rice farmers. • The restoration of the Additional Living Support Allowance for Single-Mother Households. • A big increase in social spending, with the social security budget, including spending on childrearing, nursing care, and medical care, increased by 9.8% as child allowances were introduced and the remuneration schedule for medical services was increased for the first time in ten years. • A reduction in medical expenses for unemployed persons. However, according to
NHK in 2010 prosecutors chose not to pursue him citing insufficient evidence of criminal activity, although a secretary was given a suspended prison sentence, and a review panel commented: "it is difficult to believe Hatoyama's assertion he was unaware of the falsifications." In December, the DPJ created a government task force to review government spending and pledged to make cuts equal to $32.8 billion. However, the task force cut only a quarter of that amount. Hatoyama even had to renege on a campaign promise to cut road-related taxes – including a highly symbolic gasoline tax and highway tolls. Hatoyama faced criticism from fringes of his own party, some calling for a return to public works spending. The DPJ's election platform called for re-examining its ties with the United States. Hatoyama ended an eight-year refueling mission in Afghanistan, a highly symbolic move because the mission had long been criticized for violating the nation's pacifist Constitution. In order not to anger Washington, Hatoyama offered $5 billion in civilian aid for Afghanistan reconstruction. Hatoyama was also faced with the issue of the relocation of the American
Futenma Marine Corps Air Base. The United States government hoped that Hatoyama would honor a 2006 agreement to relocate the base to a less populated part of Okinawa and move 8,000 marines to
Guam. Some voices in the DPJ demanded that America move its military bases off Okinawa islands altogether. Hatoyama worked to deepen
economic integration with the East Asian region, pushing for a
free trade zone in Asia by 2020 and proposing
Haneda airport as a 24-hour hub for international flights. In January 2010, he welcomed South Korea's
president, calling for 'future-oriented' ties, as opposed to recalling the past, in which Japan colonized Korea.
Relations with China also warmed under Hatoyama. The first few months saw an exchange of visits, including one by favored successor to China's leadership
Xi Jinping, for whom Hatoyama hastily arranged an appointment with
Emperor Akihito. On 7 January, the
Daily Yomiuri reported high-level discussion over a further exchange of visits between the two countries to promote reconciliation over historical issues. "Beijing aims to ease anti-Japan sentiment among the Chinese public by having Hatoyama visit Nanjing and express a sense of regret about the Sino-Japanese War", the paper reported.
Resignation Hatoyama's popularity soon began to falter after the DPJ struggled to meet the high expectations they set in the midst of a sliding economy. In May 2010 he faced a possible
no confidence vote, On 2 June 2010, Hatoyama announced his resignation as Prime Minister before a meeting of the Japanese Democratic Party. He cited breaking a campaign promise to close
an American military base on the island of
Okinawa as the main reason for the move. On 28 May 2010, soon after and because of increased tensions from the
sinking of a
South Korean
navy ship allegedly by
North Korea, Hatoyama had made a deal with U.S. President
Barack Obama to retain the base for security reasons, but the deal was unpopular in Japan. He also mentioned money scandals involving a top party leader,
Ichirō Ozawa, who resigned as well, in his decision to step down. on 16 September 2009) ==Post-premiership==