By Mina Pollmann
Abe will see his security legislation passed, but will need to boost Japan’s economy to win back support.
Despite opposition from the masses and dissension among the elites, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will have a “successful” September, as he passes contentious security legislation through the Upper House and wins reelection as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). However, such a narrow definition of “success” will likely not be enough to sustain his leadership in the long-term. If he has learned his lesson from his first tenure, we can expect him to refocus on the economy soon after the current Diet session ends on September 27.
Abe’s approval rating took a hit in July when the security legislation was rammed through the Lower House. His numbers have recovered since then, likely thanks to his conciliatory statement marking the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the war. But he is still demonized by politically activated citizens who oppose the security bills. Over this past weekend, tens of thousand of protesters rallied near Japan’s parliamentary building. This was not the first protest of its kind against the security bills, which implement the Cabinet decision to reinterpret the Constitution to allow for collective self-defense, but it was the largest. Organizers estimate that 120,000 protesters participated, and the Diet rally was just one out of over 300 protests held across Japan this weekend.
At the elite level, Japan’s opposition parties may be moving together to oppose Abe’s LDP. The breakup of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which frequently cooperated with the LDP, is causing flux in the opposition landscape. Two Osaka-based leaders, Hashimoto Toru and Ichiro Matsui, left JIP after a leadership dispute over whether or not to align with Japan’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Yorihisa Matsuno, the leader of what remains of JIP, is attempting to increase coordination with Katusya Okada, the DPJ leader, on various issues, including the Upper House elections next summer as well as opposition to the security bills.
Read the full story at The Diplomat