Japan should seek a more mature relationship with the US rather than one based on personal bonding, the country's media said after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's trip to Washington.
Koizumi displayed his media savvy by crooning Elvis Presley hits during a visit to Graceland with US President George W. Bush, with whom he has forged a close friendship over his fives years in office.
But the Mainichi Shimbun said Japan's diplomacy should not be so dependent on the prime minister's personal ties.
"It was disappointing that Koizumi failed to make full use of his friendly Japan-US relationship on the real international scene," the newspaper said, bemoaning "Japan's failure" to win a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Tokyo failed to get a formal commitment of support from Washington for its bid to obtain a permanent seat on the council, which was blocked by China.
The Mainichi said that failure had "exposed the limits of Koizumi's diplomacy, that depended on his personal relationship and lacked strategies."
One of Japan's leading dailies, Asahi Shimbun, praised Koizumi for tackling several thorny issues left over from previous administrations, including the controversial realignment of US troops stationed in Japan.
But the liberal daily also said he had failed to resolve several key issues before handing the reins to his successor in September.
"Koizumi lacked strategies to finish up the breakthrough [on key issues] to the final stage," the Asahi said.
Meanwhile, the Tokyo Shimbun called for a better balance in US-Japanese relations, warning the government against ever revising its pacifist Constitution to satisfy the needs of Washington.
"It should be noted that the joint statement [issued after the latest Japan-US summit] did not mention the [Japanese] Constitution," the daily said.
"Japan is bound by a limit it cannot cross. Japan should have made sure the United States will not overly expect" military cooperation from Japan, the paper said.
Koizumi returned home on Saturday from a five-day visit to Canada and the US that was heavy on symbolism as he wraps up his premiership.
Bush and Koizumi warned North Korea over its weapons programs at a White House summit before heading to Graceland on Friday.
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