24 January 2013

Japanese Politics: “Season Three”

This policy brief assesses the result of the Japanese Lower House elections held in December 2012. The author argues that Japanese voters were more interested in domestic economic issues than foreign policy. The returning Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, faces a challenging political environment due to powerful opposition parties in the Upper House. As such, the author argues that Abe will have to carefully manage this administration to win the next Upper House election scheduled for July 2013. In concluding, the paper argues that whether Abe reaches out and coordinates activities with other political parties is a matter of great importance for both Japan’s foreign and trade policy, along with Japan’s future role in the Asia-Pacific.

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