2017 General Election in Japan
It was expected around the end of 2016 that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would dissolve the lower house in January. His popularity and approval rate were so high at the time. But, the situation changed gradually and decisively as the Moritomo and then the Kake scandals surfaced.
From January to date, the Media has reported the the Moritomo and the Kake scandals everyday. Opposition party members have raised the issue of the scandals in sessions in the Diet. They have disclosed the fact that the head, Mr. Kagoike, of the Moritomo kindergarten and elementary school was treated illegally favorably by a district office of the Ministry of Finance when he purchased a government-owned site in Osaka because he was closely associated to Prime Minister Abe. Even, Mrs. Abe helped Mr. Kagoike as she became honorable school master of the Moritomo elementary school.
Mr. Kagoike was educating patriotism in his kindergarten. This stance enabled him to associate with right-wing notable public figures and politicians, one of whom was Prime Minister Abe. And, when Mr. Kagoike planned to build a private elementary school to further promote patriotism among children, he decided to purchase a government-owned site in Osaka which was believed to be priced at 900 million yen. But the district office of the Ministry of Finance requested him only to pay 100 million yen or so. A 800 million price cut due to Mr. Kagoike's association with Prime Minister Abe!
So, the Media and opposition party leaders have focused on this issue. Almost everyday the newspapers and TV news shows have taken up this Moritomo scandal in these months. In addition, the Kake scandal also surfaced.
Mr. Kake is the head of the Kake school group. He planned to establish Veterinary Medicine in one of a university of his school group. And it was doubted that he used his connection to Prime Minister Abe in obtaining permission for launching the new faculty of veterinary medicine in Ehime Prefecture from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Mr. Kake and Mr. Abe are old friends. They often played golf together and dined with each other. Mr. Abe's influence on this issue was especially suspected as the official permission for establishment of the new Veterinary Medicine was promptly given while the Government had a policy not to authorize new establishment of Veterinary Medicine in universities in Japan for decades.
Prime Minister Abe could not deliver reasonable explanation about his relationships with Mr. Kagoike and Mr. Kake. He could not make the public consent that he had nothing to do with the the Moritomo and the Kake cases. His approval rating went down. So, he reshuffled his Cabinet this August. The approval rating stopped falling, but still the Media and the opposition party members continued to follow after the scandals. The opposition parties requested to convene a special session of the Diet so that they could ask more questions about the Moritomo and the Kake scandals of PM Abed. Virtually, in response to this request, PM Abe dissolves the lower house last week. The public thought that this dissolution was made in order to hide the scandals.
In the political situation, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Prime Miner Abe overwhelms the opposition parties in approval rating. The ruling LDP and the Komeito Party enjoyed two thirds of lower-house seats till the dissolution. So, it was thought that PM Abe would be overwhelmingly supported by voters, since the leading opposition party Minsinto suffered some scandals and its new leader, Mr. Maehara, was just elected in early September.
This is the background of this general election in Japan. It is by PM Abe, for PM Abe, and on PM Abe.
But, popular Tokyo Governor Ms. Yuriko Koike suddenly decided to form Kibonoto Party, take most of Minshito politicians in her new party, and challenge Mr. Abe.
This is the largest concern of the Japanese public. Can Prime Minsiter Abe comfortably receive President Trump expected to visit Japan in November in the middle of the North Korean nuclear missile crisis? It depends of the outcome of the coming election where ballots will be cast on October 22.
