Japan's parliament named Yukio Hatoyama prime minister Wednesday, as his party took power for the first time ever with promises to revive the slumping economy and make Tokyo a more equal partner in its alliance with the United States, AP reported. Hatoyama said he plans to review the American military presence in Japan, where 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed. But he said he will not stress that potentially contentious issue in a first meeting with President Barack Obama that could come later this month. The outgoing Liberal Democrats, who had ruled the country for most of the postwar era, are staunchly pro-American. Some have worried that the incoming Democratic Party of Japan would make changes to the U.S. relationship, but both Hatoyama and Washington have been careful to dispel the notion that any big shift is afoot. -- SPA
