The World

By Mure Dickie, FT Japan bureau chief

After a wide-smiled summit encounter full of effusive expressions of bilateral affection, could we now be set for a “Bara-Yuki relationship” to rival the famous “Ron-Yasu” days of 1980s US-Japan diplomacy?

Well, not quite. After all, Barack Obama and Yukio Hatoyama’s personal names do not contract quite so comfortably as did those of their predecessors Ronald Reagan and Yasuhiro Nakasone. And while Obama and Hatoyama were unambiguous in stressing their commitment to the US-Japan alliance, they have yet to show they can tackle differences over US forces in Okinawa.

But it is still significant that both leaders were so keen to show bonhomie at an encounter being closely watched for signs that ties between Asia’s biggest Pacific powers might be weakening. And Hatoyama was quick to point out that they are already past formal modes of address. “Well, we have come to call each other Barack and Yukio,” he told a press conference after the summit meeting. ” I think I’ve grown quite accustomed to us calling each other by our first names.”

With the controversial relocation of the Futenma Marine base on Okinawa still unresolved, however, it is worth noting that at the press conference, a little initial mutual use of first names quickly petered out. After that it was all “President Obama” and “the prime minister”. Barack and Yukio are not real buddies yet.