[War] Australia/Japan: Calls Between Regional Neighbours

[Daniel Sanderson]

“Calls Between Regional Neighbours”
Prime Minister Jack Decker
Australia
Prime Minister Shunichi Sato
Japan
Friday August 1 2014

Jack had decided to call Prime Minister Sato from the Lodge. He was sick of the office. He’d spent half an hour with Lucas, Joanna and a handful of DFAT people before calling up the car and heading home.

It was three o’clock. The kids would be home in about an hour, and Lisa a bit after that. He walked into his study, snapping open his briefcase and taking out the handful of papers from DFAT. He picked up the phone.

“Yes sir?”

“Prime Minister Sato’s office in Tokyo.”

“Hold on sir.” The Army technician said as he connected the call.

It was another muggy summer day in Tokyo, a condition only made worse by the ever present smog. As such he fortified himself inside the Sori Kantei with several long neck Kirin beers, a bowl of cold kijoyu udon, and a recording of the Yomiuri Giants clobbering Osaka's Hanshin Tigers. However his little moment of solitude was broken up by the soft knock at the entertainment room door.

"Come in," Sato said as he took a pull from his beer.

Akira entered with the notes for the Australia call under his arm. "Prime Minister Decker is on the line."

Sato nodded, was it that time already? He checked his watch. Yes it was. He set down his beer and put his game on pause. "Bring me the notes and the phone," he instructed his temporary assistant.

The young man nodded and went to phone pressing the requisite buttons to secure the line before informing the operator that the Prime Minister was coming on the line. He handed it to Sato along with the notes.

Sato wedged the phone between his head and shoulder as he fumbled on the coffee table for his reading glasses and put them on as the line connected.

"Mr. Prime Minister, I hope you weren't waiting to long, I am afraid I let myself get distracted by a little baseball," Sato said in solid if not fluent English. He had begun studying it too late in life to ever learn how to differentiate his L's from his R's.

“That’s quite alright Mr. Sato.” Decker said with a laugh. “I’m in the same boat, I thought if I left it for you to call you might call tomorrow night when I’m watching the football.” He smiled at that, he would have gone but he had some work to do…he was running out of games fast as the 2014 season headed towards the finals, with the annual accusations of teams ‘tanking’ to get favourable draft picks already surfacing. “I’m just savouring a quiet moment at home before the kids get back from school. How are things up your way?” He asked casually, as someone from the country might ask someone living in the city.

"Humid and smoggy, fortunately it allows old men like me to hide away from the world," Sato chuckled. He wasn't *that* old, even if it did feel like it sometimes. "How old are your children?" he inquired, wondering how it was so many leaders these days were also family men. Much of that part of Sato's life had been offered on the altar of advancement along side both his marriages.

“The twins are seventeen, Thomas is fifteen and Anna’s eleven.” Decker said with a smile, looking at the photo on his desk of his family. “Makes for a very busy, but happy, home life. One day I really will be an old man, and they can all look after themselves and I can hide away somewhere.”

"I remember when mine were about that age, I can imagine the thought of hiding must be appealing, just remember you're the Prime Minister, you can always say it is a matter of state," Sato joked. "Speaking of your family, if we're both agreed the summit should be in Japan, please bring them, it would be a pleasure for us to show them our many ancient and cultural sites in the city, and if that fails to interest, there is always Tokyo Disneyland."

Decker chuckled. “I’m sure they’d like that, they were a bit sour that Lisa and I left them behind on the Canada-America trip. I want to thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your messages. As you know, Australia’s been engaged in our direct region, especially with Indonesia, on similar issues to what you suggested, and this would be a great opportunity to bring it up at a real regional forum. If you want to host it, Mr. Prime Minister, then that’s fantastic, and we’d be happy to assist in logistics, security, anything you need.”

Sato made a pleased sound. "Excellent, I am sure my people will be in touch with your as to the preparations, these things always need more helping hands than one plans for. As for the Summit, I was hoping for something more concrete than simply a forum. There has been much discussion and little action on these issues and I was hoping to enlist your government's earnest support for our initiatives, to provide a united front for those who might be a bit, hesitant to agree," Sato's tone suggested he meant arm twisting to make those who were complicit, change their tune.

Decker smiled knowingly. “I understand, Mr. Prime Minister. Australia would be more then happy to step up alongside Japan and…steer the discussion and whatever results might come about from it.” He knew what the PM was getting at. It was what he’d done at the Department of Foreign Affairs, as one of the less bureaucratic people in the department he often played the plainspoken bad cop to assorted bureaucratic, diplomatic good cops. “Provided the initiatives and so on are found agreeable with the Australian government, which I’d imagine they would be, you will have our unconditional support, and backing.”

Sato nodded. "Good, as for our objectives, they are nothing sinister, we want firm commitments from everyone involved to participate in the task forces, action taken at home on these issues, and a promise of a further summit to discuss how these task forces are working in six months," he said. "If we get that, I am willing to call the summit a win."

“As would I.” Decker replied. “I’ll get a DFAT team in the air on Monday to help with the planning and setting up of the summit in Nagano. Hopefully we’ll be able to get it organised quickly enough, say, within two or three weeks?”

"That sounds excellent," Sato said. "Say starting on the 20th and going until the following weekend?"

“Sounds good Mr. Prime Minister. I’ll light a fire under it at this end.” Decker said firmly. “I imagine we’ll have quite a few chats in the next few weeks, and I look forward to seeing you in Nagano.”

"As will I Mr. Prime Minister. I suppose that sets things in motion, and we can return to our rest, but thank you for your cooperation I think we are going to be very happy with how this summit turns out."

“Arigato, Mr. Prime Minister.” Decker said with his limited Japanese. “Looking forward to our work. Sayonara.” He hung up the phone and smiled. This would be good for the government, the country and the region.

--ACTIONS TAKEN--
1. Australian and Japanese leaders discuss their plans for a Regional Summit to be held in Nagano.
2. Decker to dispatch a DFAT team to Japan to help plan out the nitty-gritty of the conference.
3. Small talk between the two leaders.




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