Abe's Popularity
When then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Pyongyang in September 2002 to meet Kim Jong-il, Shinzo Abe, as deputy chief cabinet secretary, accompanied Koizumi. It was well reported that Abe gave precious advice to Koizumi in the venue of the meeting with then North Korean leader Kim. And when five Japanese abductees returned to Japan from North Korea in October, Abe is said to have contributed to their permanent stay in Japan, although North Korea allowed them to tentatively return to Japan. These incidents boosted popularity of Shinzo Abe.
So, Shinzo Abe succeeded Koizumi as prime minister of Japan when Koizumi voluntarily stepped down in 2006. However, Abe could not make his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) win in the upper-house election in 2007. And with mental and physical slump, he suddenly stepped down from the premiership in September 2007. Abe was severely criticized, and he looked like loosing any hope in future as a politician.
However, in the presidential election of the LDP in September 2012, Abe ran and wan. He also wan the lower-house election held in December 2012. Prime Minister Abe worked out a new economic policy, called Abenmics, to deal with deflation. In Abenomics, the Central Bank of Japan started to buy Japanese Government bonds from the market and banks beyond the past level to provide and circulate big money in the market, which resulted in a falling yen against the US dollar and increase of the Tokyo Stock Nikkei index. The employment rate was also improved. And, PM Abe got high reputation in Japan and abroad.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party of Japan that held power between 2009 and 2012 lost support of voters since they could not improve economy and respond properly to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. So, Abe enjoyed overwhelming advantage with a high approval rate.
But in this year, Abe has come to face strong criticism because of the Morito/Kake scandals. Voters found that Abe used his influential power to help his right-wing supporter Mr. Kagoike (in the Moritomo case) and his old friend Mr. Kake in their educational business. To avoid further criticism, PM Abe dissolved the lower house a week ago or so.
Abe's popularity is still high, but Ms. Koike, popular Tokyo Governor, launched Kibono-to Party to challenge him. And, many voters have come to doubt political cleanness of Abe. Therefore, there is a possibility that his party LDP will lose a majority of lower-house seats. That is the big concern of Japanese people today.
The point is whether Abe's popularity is still real or not.
