Samantha Stauch (Gunma)
This article was finalized in October before the election took place. Some information may have changed since this article’s publication. Following a whirlwind of major events and uncertainty, the Japanese political sphere has been disorienting for both its citizens and foreign onlookers. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan’s longest serving prime minister Abe Shinzo leaving office, the controversial Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and a short stint by former prime minister Suga Yoshihide, Japan has had its fair share of issues to deal with in the last 2 years. Yet, the months of September and October provided the Japanese government with an opportunity to decide how to answer the calls of discontent across the nation. (1) With the conclusion of the highly contested Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race in September, and the hundreds of politicians who competed for only 465 seats in the lower house election held on October 31st, the end of 2021 is crucial in illustrating the path forward for Japan’s future beyond the pandemic. (2) Whether we are very involved or not interested in the slightest, what happens in politics impacts the lives of every individual. As foreign residents in Japan, we cannot vote in these elections, but being a knowledgeable spectator of Japanese politics will give us the opportunity to better understand our current environment. This article will serve as a rundown of the current affairs in Japanese politics (also known as seiji). This includes the LDP leadership race, a brief look into the newly appointed prime minister—Kishida Fumio—and what we can expect from the upcoming administration.
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