- Diet
- Abe Shinzō’s Second Cabinet (December 2012)
-
After the general election of December 16, 2012, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Kōmeitō wrested power back from the Democratic Party of Japan. On December 26, Prime Minister Abe Shinzō announced the lineup of his second cabinet.
(More)
- Three Ways to Boost Japan’s Diplomatic PR Power—For (Almost) Nothing!Taniguchi Tomohiko
-
“Japanese diplomacy lacks clout. We’re failing make ourselves heard in the international community.” How many times have I heard these and similar complaints in the course of 2012? A look at our neighbors only underlines the feebleness of Japan’s efforts. Last year China’s Xinhua news agency bought advertising space in New York’s Times Square, while a lecture hall in the Woodrow Wilson School at P…
(More)
- Election 2012: The People’s Verdict, Abe’s AgendaShiraishi Takashi
-
On December 16 Japan held a general election for the House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet. As had been expected, the Liberal Democratic Party, which lost power three years ago, emerged victorious this time. The LDP achieved a sweeping victory, taking 294 of the 480 seats in the chamber. Adding the 31 seats won by the New Kōmeitō, its long-time ally, gives a total of 325, …
(More)
- Results for the December 2012 General Election
-
The forty-sixth lower house general election took place on December 16, 2012. The Liberal Democratic Party achieved a sweeping victory, securing 294 seats and taking over government from the Democratic Party of Japan, which managed only 57 seats.
(More)
- Strong majority, weak support?
-
The dust has settled from last Sunday's general election, which put the Liberal Democratic Party back in power with a convincing majority of 294 seats in the 480-seat lower house of the Diet. Together with coalition partner New Kōmeitō (31 seats), the LDP commands a two-thirds majority in the chamber—enough to power through even legislation that is rejected by the upper house. Widely noted, thou…
(More)
- Why Noda Decided to Call an ElectionTakenaka Harukata
-
On November 16 Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko dissolved the House of Representatives; a general election will be held on December 16. Many readers may wonder why he took that step at this time. After all, public support for Noda’s cabinet and his Democratic Party of Japan is languishing at a very low level. Opinion polls conducted by the major newspapers shortly before the announcement show that th…
(More)
- The Tasks Ahead for Noda and the DPJTakenaka Harukata
-
On September 21 the Democratic Party of Japan held its presidential election. Noda Yoshihiko, the current prime minister, handily won reelection to hang on to the top spot. The task before him now is to tackle a raft of domestic and foreign policy issues while keeping an eye on the calendar to choose the best time to hold the next general election. In this column I look mainly at the domestic iss…
(More)
- An Uncertain Year Ahead Following the Leadership ElectionsMasuzoe Yōichi
-
Leadership elections for Japan’s two largest political parties took place in September 2012. While Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko easily retained control of the governing Democratic Party of Japan, the contest was considerably more eventful for the opposition Liberal Democratic Party. The incumbent president, Tanigaki Sadakazu, withdrew from the competition, leaving a battle between five contenders…
(More)
- Proposed Election Reform Is Still UnconstitutionalTakenaka Harukata
-
At a July 25 meeting of the Election System Council of the House of Councillors, the Liberal Democratic Party indicated that it will support the Democratic Party of Japan’s proposal to make several changes to the way members are elected to the upper house. The proposal calls for two seats to be added in Kanagawa and in Osaka Prefectures, bringing those prefectures’ total to eight seats each. This …
(More)
- Why Rice Is Vanishing from Japanese TablesIwamura Nobuko
-
Japanese families are spending more on bread than rice for the first time ever, according to recent government findings. Iwamura Nobuko draws on the survey her own team has administered for the past 15 years to explain the historical and cultural factors underlying this shift.
(More)
