Japan Votes to Maintain Steady Consensus

Japanese voters in their national parliamentary election continued their support for the long dominating Liberal Democratic Party giving them 261 seats in a 465-seat lower house of the Diet. Although it is down by 15 seats, it’s well over the 233 seats needed for a majority (an allied party, Komeito, won 32 seats).

The new Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, can begin what is usually a four-year term. Kishida has made clear he intends to continue the basic outline of policies from Shinzo Abe, who served from 2012 to 2020.

• Continue commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and dealing with the rising tensions with China.
• Strengthen Japan’s military capacity and increase funding. Taiwan’s independence and North Korea’s missile threat are top issues.
• Maintain the alliance with the U.S. As a former foreign minister for Abe, he knows the history, participants and the relationships.
• Build trade relationship with Pacific partners through a remodeled Trans-Pacific Partnership.

He left shortly after the election results to Glasgow, Scotland for the climate conference. Japan has committed billions for financing for developing countries.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) puts rosettes by successful candidate
names at his party’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 31, 2021 | AFP

Read: Japan’s Party Bosses Pick Fumio Kishida Over Taro Kono. Consensus over Reform