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| Shinzo Abe (Wiki Info - Image: Wiki Commons) |
By J. Berkshire Miller
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has now officially exorcised the demons that have haunted him since his stinging resignation as leader in 2007. The recent Upper House election results, coupled with Abe’s landslide victory last December, mark a turning point for the former leader to break through the so-called “twisted politics” that has divided Japan’s political scene since the tenure of former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Junichiro Koizumi nearly a decade ago.
Abe was able to secure this victory for a number of reasons. First, he has been able to renew hope amongst the Japanese electorate that his three arrows approach to economic reform will pull the country back into prosperity. Second, Abe has encouraged a sense of patriotism that has long been dismissed in a country that has refrained from openly expressing national pride since World War II. Third, he has restored faith in Japan’s bedrock partnership with the U.S. while investing time to develop stronger strategic ties with less mature partners. And finally, he has been able to contain – if not improve – descending ties with China over the East China Sea.
This is not to say it has all been smooth sailing. Abe should shoulder some blame for the increasingly toxic ties with South Korea after a series of fumbled comments and ill-advised photo ops. He also erred when expressing his personal views on historical issues from World War II. But for the most part, Abe has been able to defy his critics and maintain the necessary tap dance on bolstering a “strong Japan” while not raising new eyebrows outside of Seoul and Beijing.
Read the full story at The Diplomat