General election is coming in Japan. It will be 16th Dec. Now, many politicians are appealing their policy.
There are some points of political debate. Nowadays Japan is suffering from severe recession with chronic deflation. Some economists say it is due to a strong yen. So Mr. Shinzou Abe, the president of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), claims that Bank of Japan must intervene in financial market more actively. Prime Minister Mr. Yoshihiko Noda in ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) opposes this idea.
LDP was ruling Diet in Japan for a long time until 2009. The opinions of politicians in LDP are relatively conservative. They tend to take account of traditional Japanese culture. On the other hand, DPJ is more liberal. Policy of DPJ includes establishment of right to vote by foreigners living in Japan. So DPJ are hated by nationalists.
The third power was born recently. Nippon Ishin-no-kai, (Japan Restoration Party, JRP) is a party whose president is Mr. Shintaro Ishihara, past Governor of Tokyo. JRP was originally made by Mr. Toru Hashimoto, the Governor of Osaka city. Mr. Ishihara resigned the Governor of Tokyo in Nov. 2012 and established his own Party, “Party of the Sun (PoS).” However PoS immediately joined JRP.
Mr. Toru Hashimoto is very radical politician. He is very famous but has a lot of foes. Mr. Ishihara is also supported by vast people. Whether the two giants can cooperate with each other is a important point.
LDP, DPJ and JRP vary in their policies. So voters have to consider deeply about which is to be elected. The next election is very interesting.
However, regardless which is chosen, I have a pessimistic prospect about the future of Japan. Japan has some critical problems hardly to be solved by political power.
I agree with you... I think the most important issues are 1)economy, 2)job market, and 3)encouraging the families who have small kids. and I think any party can show how to solve those problems.
ReplyDeleteEssentially, 1) and 2) are due to global changes of economy. In this aspect, Asia is the "hottest" areas in the world, however, Japan cannot use this advantage (I think placing in Asia is a big chance, not crisis!) enough. Some politicians are even agitating people to against China and try to get more vote for it...
And 3). I recently heard that there are groups that have a policy of "Oya-Gaku". They say that if mother stay at home and give enough "love(!?)" to kids until they become 3 years old, they can prevent the Asperger syndrome or something....??? (I hope I am misunderstanding, I hope!!). I think the working mothers should be encouraged, because recently the working style has been changed so much. Women more tend to work(If only men is working, sometimes the family cannot get enough money), and sometimes they work far away to their hometown, so they cannot ask to help to grandparents. This is what happens now, we must adjust to them, not to change the situation to "what is should be"..
I hope they do well those 1)2)3) after the election.....But I am pessimistic, either.
Peet