	 friction threatens to topple nakasone prime minister yasuhiro nakasone may have been dealt a fatal political blow by the yen s renewed rapid rise and the threat of a  war with the united states political analysts said nakasone already under fire over an unpopular tax reform plan may now be forced to resign before the june economic summit of seven industrialised nations if local elections later next month go against candidates from his ruling liberal democratic party ldp they said the close relationship between nakasone and president reagan was an important element of nakasone s power base waseda university political science professor mitsuru uchida told reuters so the emergence of u s criticism damages nakasone even before the latest  friction flared nakasone was encountering criticism not only from opposition parties but also within his own ldp over his proposal to levy a sales tax many factions within the ldp are distancing themselves from nakasone uchida said his position within the ldp itself is not so strongly established today nakasone who has been more popular with the general public than with many ldp members is now seeing his public support eroded the analysts said the yen s rise to record highs and the u s threat on friday to impose tariffs on japanese electronics goods in retaliation for japan s alleged violation of a microchip  pact are now giving nakasone s critics fresh ammunition the analysts said apparently the special relationship between reagan and nakasone hasn t worked effectively rei shiratori director of the institute for political studies in japan said this is making the japanese people doubt nakasone s credibility shiratori told reuters the cumulative impact of the sales tax issue the yen s rise and mounting  friction could mean serious ldp losses in the april and local elections analysts said if the elections go against the ldp nakasone may have to resign early shiratori said but nakasone still has a chance to soothe u s tempers before or during his week long washington visit from april some analysts said however unless the japanese political system can move more quickly to give nakasone some nice present to take to washington on smouldering  issues he will face a very hostile audience said merrill lynch securities economist william sterling if the trip is a major disaster it would seem to put the final nail in his coffin he said reagan s own weakened domestic position and growing republican as well as democratic anger with japan argue against a quick settlement to the  dispute the analysts said but a desire on both sides to find some solution coupled with uncertainty at home and abroad over likely successors to nakasone could still lead to an attempt to paper over the differences and aid nakasone they said one factor against a  war may be that washington is not anxious to push nakasone into his grave sterling said reuter 
