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.

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