The 46th Japanese parliamentary elections will be held on December 16. This early election is a result of the incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolving the Lower House of their parliament on November 16.
This comes at a time when Tokyo and Beijing are locked in a tussle over the ownership of the Senkaki/Diaoyu islands in the South China Sea.
Polls suggest that the leading contender for the post of the next Japanes is former Prime Minister and leader of the biggest opposition, Shinzo Abe. Abe’s win can prove beneficial for India, given the surge in India-Japan trade during his term as the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, a number of coalitions like that of the Japan Restoration Party and the Sunrise Party are forming a ‘third pole’ to counter the two major parties. Other new parties that will contest elections are the Zero Nuclear Party, and Tomorrow Party of Japan.
The debates over this election revolve primarily around the country’s economic performance, the Fukushima nuclear power disaster, and Japan’s relations with its East Asian neighbours. Issues like public debt which is estimated to be twice the size of its GDP of $5 trillion, public grievances against capitalism, and settling of territorial disputes with China are among the factors that determine whether the new leadership will retain its stronghold.