The political summer of 2022 in Japan: A storm before a lull?

Abstract

The article addresses the political processes in Japan in the summer of 2022. The central place among them is occupied by the elections to the House of Councilors held in July, which brought victory to the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. As the main reason for the strong performance of the conservatives in the author views is the fact that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida grasped and duly took into account in his election program a shift to the right in the mainstream sentiment of the Japanese society, under which, against the background of the tightening security environment around Japan, it began to show “understanding” to the growth of military spending, the revision of Article 9 of the Constitution and the abolition of other pacifist restrictions. Kishida returned to the principles of the inter-factional balance of power in the cabinet reshuffle, introducing a significant number of newcomers in accordance with the wishes of the factional leaders. Given the current situation in the parliament, as well as the fact that national elections are not expected in Japan until 2025, Kishida received a huge freedom of hands, not being bound by the need to constantly act basing on the considerations of political expediency. So far, he has shown himself to be a loyal disciple of his predecessor Abe, with great reverence for most of his endeavors, but it is still difficult to say whether he will continue Abe’s policy in all areas.