- LDP
- Japan-US Relations: The Need for Commitment and Restraint
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Abe Shinzō’s new administration has made a promising start in its dealings with the United States, including an inaugural summit with President Barack Obama that laid the groundwork for Japan’s participation in negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. The bilateral relationship faces numerous issues, though, whose outcome remains to be seen. We asked former ambassador to the United States Fujisaki Ichirō to share his thoughts.
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- Priorities for Japan’s Defense PolicyNakanishi Hiroshi
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Prime Minister Abe Shinzō has moved to hike the defense budget for the first time in 11 years and has called for a revision of Japan’s basic defense guidelines. How should we evaluate the new administration’s approach to defense and security policy?
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- Decentralization: Who Is It For?Takenaka Harukata
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Decentralization of power has been on Japan’s agenda for 20 years, but how much real progress has been achieved? We interviewed Katayama Yoshihiro, who won high marks for his performance as governor of Tottori Prefecture (1999–2007) and who promoted decentralization as a member of Kan Naoto’s cabinet (2010–11).
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- Nuclear Power and the Emptiness of Political PromisesHayakawa Masaya
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At a New Year’s meeting of her supporters on January 13, Shiga Prefecture’s governor Kada Yukiko revealed the series of events that led to the formation of the Nippon Mirai no Tō, or the “Tomorrow Party of Japan.” Apparently she took the decision to form the party after being persuaded by Ozawa Ichirō in the lead-up to the December’s lower house elections that “if you run, we should get 100 cand…
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- Abe’s Agenda on Three FrontsKitaoka Shin’ichi
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In order to deal with the difficult issues Japan faces domestically and internationally, Prime Minister Abe Shinzō will need to display leadership and promote realistic policies without getting tied up in ideology.
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- Acting with an Eye to HistoryKawashima Shin
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Having won an overwhelming majority in the Lower House in the recent general election, the Liberal Democratic Party has returned to power in partnership with the New Kōmeitō. Prime Minister Abe Shinzō’s new government has already started to draw up a raft of new policies with a focus on the economy as it attempts to deal with the numerous domestic and international challenges facing Japan. As the …
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- The Changing Face of Decentralization MovesHitora Tadashi
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With the Liberal Democratic Party’s emphatic victory in the December 2012 lower house election, it looks as though there will be substantial changes to the way that administrative reform to decentralize power in Japan is implemented from here on out. There is a good chance that the discussion will pivot away from talk of expanding the powers of the current prefectures and municipalities, turning …
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- How Effective Will “Abenomics” Be?Abe Junichi
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Hopes are growing that Abe Shinzō, Japan’s new prime minister, will be able to restore the health of the Japanese economy by means of his “Abenomics.” The yen finally began to weaken and stock prices surged late in 2012 when the decision to dissolve the House of Representatives was reached, signaling the markets expectations of Abe’s economic policies. The Liberal Democratic Party won a stunning …
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- Abe Shinzō’s Second Cabinet (December 2012)
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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.
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- Election 2012: The People’s Verdict, Abe’s AgendaShiraishi Takashi
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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, …
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