This Futenma business could bust up the government coalition in Japan

Fukushima hints at SDP’s departure from gov’t coalition+.

Mizuho Fukushima was dismissed from the Cabinet by Yukio Hatoyama due to her dissent  with the latest agreement between the U.S. and Japan on the Futenma base.   That agreement is to move most operations to the  Henoko district of Nago — still on Okinawa.  Fukushima regarded that as a broken promise to the Okinawans, and refused to approve the agreement.

This could mean a breakup of the three party government coalition in Japan, as the dismissal of Fukushima is regarded by many as a dismissal of her Social Democratic Party.