It was certainly a dramatic and convincing victory, but how much will it really change Japan? In the recent election, the opposition Democratic Party of Japan routed the Liberal Democratic Party, who had been in practically uninterrupted control for the past half century. The landslide triumph is a historic break from the past, but is it enough to stop the economy from sinking?
The election unfolded as the country is nearing the end of essentially two lost decades – Japan’s faltering economy will be a first priority for the new government. Japan is looking to shift – at least partially – from a reliance on exports to greater domestic demand.
What does this mean for US-Japan relations? Well, we don’t know yet. A significant change in Japan’s foreign policies is unlikely, but the DPJ is expected to push for a more equal relationship with Washington.
Moving away from some rhetoric used during the campaign, Japan’s next leader, Yukio Hatoyama, is trying to reassure the United States. On Thursday, he told President Obama that “the Japan-US alliance is the foundation” of Tokyo’s foreign policies.
“The bottom line is that the election is unlikely to resolve Japan’s core economic challenges or fundamentally change the direction of U.S.-Japan relations,” contends Michael Green, a senior advisor and Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
For further analysis, check out this segment on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
Photo from Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times and clip from the PBS NewsHour.
