ABSTRACT
More than two years have passed since Junichiro Koizumi assumed leadership after his surprise victory of Japan's presidential election in April 2001. He enjoyed an unprecedented high degree of support, greater than 80 percent, which indicated that the public shared his view and, believed that here was a leader capable of pushing through the necessary reforms, irrespective of opposition within his own party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Many observers point out that the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), could be Koizumi's naturally. The chapter concludes that the emphasis on Asia in Japanese economic diplomacy does not necessarily mean that Japan does not have any interest in Africa, one of the topics featured at the G8 Kananaskis Summit and slated for Evian in 2003. In fact, Japan has been one of the principal sources of aid to many African countries and is acutely aware of the crucial role played by that aid in African fiscal budgets.
