Recent elections in Japan have been dramatic, and the 2021 general election was no exception. Worldwide turmoil caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as domestic uncertainty following the resignation of long-serving Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, left many voters and political observers wondering whether his successors were up to the task of leading the country through the crisis. In the end, the LDP and coalition partner Kōmeitō eked out an electoral victory―but one that masks important changes in the party system and nuanced changes in voter behavior and preferences. This fourth volume in the Japan Decides series features a comprehensive collection of analyses from leading experts, covering the legacy of Abe’s tenure in office, the state of the LDP and other parties, the impact of COVID-19 and the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and many other important topics in contemporary party politics and domestic and foreign policy.
Author(s): Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, Daniel M. Smith
Series: Japan Decides, 4
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 403
City: Cham
Acknowledgments
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Abbreviations
Political Parties
Newspapers
Other Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction: Japan’s Coronavirus Election
References
2 Japanese Politics Between 2017 and 2021
2019 House of Councillors Results
Hope and After: The Opposition
Abe and After: 2020 Resignation and Replacements
Bibliography
3 The 2021 Election Results: Continuity and Change
Ishin’s Rise
The LDP’s Fall in Urban Districts
The CDP’s Dilemma and Debacle
Conclusion
Notes
References
Part I Party Politics
4 How the Liberal Democratic Party Avoided a Loss in 2021
Presidential Selection
Nominations
Conclusion
Notes
References
5 The Opposition in 2021: A Second Party and a Third Force
The Opposition 2017–2021: Disappearance of Hope, Consolidation Around CDP
The 2021 Election and the Opposition
The CDP: Japan’s Second Party
The SDP
Reiwa Shinsengumi
The JCP
The Democratic Party for the People
The Third Force Opposition: Ishin
The Future of the Opposition
Note
References
6 Kōmeitō in 2021: Strategizing Between the LDP and Sōka Gakkai
Life as a Junior Coalition Partner: Seeking Stability Amidst Turmoil
Kōmeitō Links to China: An Important Conduit in Tense Times
Kōmeitō’s 2021 Campaign
Election Results
Conclusion: The Status Quo, and Changes on the Horizon
Notes
References
7 Abe’s Legacy
Abe as Kingmaker
Abe in the Leadership Election
The Balance Shifts
Abe as Opinion Leader
Conclusion
Notes
References
8 Candidate Selection for the 2021 General Election
Conflict Over Nominations in the Governing LDP and Kōmeitō
Coordination of the Progressive Opposition
Conclusion
Notes
References
9 Generational Change or Continuity in Japan’s Leadership?
Too Young to Run?
Surveying Younger and Older Candidates
Policy Priorities
Policy Preferences
Potential Reforms to Increase Youth Representation
Notes
References
10 Should I Stay or Should I Go? Party Switching in Japan
The Who and Why of Party Switching
Party Switching Under MMM
Stay, Switch, or Retire? Candidate Choices in Democratic Competition
Japan’s Opposition: Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Where Do Party Switchers Go?
References
11 Ministerial Selection Under Abe, Suga, and Kishida
Theory and Practice of Ministerial Selection in Japan
Cabinet Portfolio Allocation Under Abe, Suga, and Kishida
Characteristics of Ministers under Kishida
Conclusion
Note
References
Part II The Campaign
12 Public Opinion and COVID-19
Cabinet Approval Ratings, 2017–2021
How People Evaluated Abe, Suga, and Kishida
The Impact of the Coronavirus on Public Opinion
Conclusion
Notes
References
13 Social Media in the 2021 Election Campaign
Who Used Social Media in the 2021 Election?
What Did the Parties’ Social Media Campaigns Focus on?
Is Japan Experiencing Online Political Polarization?
Conclusions
Notes
References
14 Are the Kids Alright? Young People and Turnout in Japan
Depoliticization, the Costs of Voting, and Campaign Context
Structures, Institutions, and Electoral Turnout
Raising the Costs of Voting
Conclusion
Notes
References
15 Did COVID-19 Impact Japan’s 2021 General Election?
COVID-19 Performance, Changing Voter Priorities, and Election Timing
Local Variations in the “COVID Vote”
Conclusion
Notes
References
Part III The Issues: Domestic and International
16 Japan’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Japanese COVID-19 Pandemic in Comparative Perspective
The Abe Model and the Japan Model of COVID-19 Response
The 2021 Election and the Kishida Government
Notes
References
17 Economic Policy Trilemma: Macroeconomic Politics in the 2021 Election
Economic Policy Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Kishida’s New Form of Capitalism and the LDP’s Manifesto
Economic Policy Trilemma Facing the Political Parties During the Lower House Election
Conclusion
Notes
References
18 Does Income Inequality Matter in Japan?
A Brief Overview: Income Inequality in Japan
Income Inequality and the 2021 Election
Why Did Income Inequality Matter in the 2021 Election?
Conclusion
Notes
References
19 Women’s Representation and the Gendered Impact of COVID-19 in Japan
Women’s Economic Representation
Womenomics: Progress and Challenges
The Gendered Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Women’s Political Representation
Party Pledges on Gender Equity Issues in the 2021 General Election
Female Candidates and Elected Members
Why so Few Women in Japanese Politics?
Supply-Side Factors
Demand-Side Factors
Conclusion
Notes
References
20 Black Lives Matter in Japan: The Specter of Race and Racism Haunting Japan
Background: Older and Newer “Races”
Bringing Race and Racism into Japan’s National Conversation
Japan’s Racial Gymnastics as World’s First Non-White Power
The Complexities of Black Admiration and Antiblack Racism in Japan
Conclusion: What Does Black Lives Matter Tell Us About Japan?
Notes
References
21 Constitutional Revision in the 2021 Election
Constitutional Politics
Constitutional Amendments in the 2021 Election
After the Election: Whither Constitutional Revision?
Notes
References
22 COVID-19: The International Dimension
Ordinary Diplomacy No More
Lack of Leadership
COVID-19, the WHO, and Japan
COVID-19-Related Health Diplomacy
Bilateral
Regional
Multilateral
COVID-19 Before and After the 2021 Election
Notes
References
23 Foreign Policy and Defense
Betting on the U.S.-Japan Alliance
Defense Capabilities: An Unprecedented Enthusiasm for Firepower
China: Managing Intensifying Competition
Shoring Up a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Strategically Political Stability Is the Key
Notes
References
24 China in Japan’s 2021 Elections
Politics and Economics in the Japan–China Relationship
Foreign Policy in Japanese Elections
Security
Economy
Implications of the 2021 Elections for Japan–China Relations
Note
References
25 The Olympics in the 2021 Election
Prelude
The Turn
The Aftermath
Notes
References
26 Conclusion: Voters Choose Competence in Japan’s Coronavirus Election
Two Big Surprises of the 2021 Election
The Coronavirus Election: Competence and Luck
Putting Japan’s Coronavirus Election in Comparative Context
Whither Democratic Competition in Japan?
Notes
References
Index
