Japanese Politics Today: The LDP in Decline and Xenophobia on the Rise?

Politics in Japan is going through a tumultuous period. The long-ruling LDP has suffered major defeats in two national elections since last year, new parties are flourishing, and established opposition parties are stagnating. In particular, Sanseito--a new populist party with the "Japanese First" slogan--received the third-highest number of party-list votes in this year's upper house election, making headlines around the world. What is happening in Japan? Has the global wave of far-right party surges finally reached the country? This talk will present public opinion data and detailed election results to help interpret the current political situation.

 

Ko Maeda is a professor of political science at the University of North Texas. His research interests center on elections, party competition, and political institutions. His work has appeared in leading journals such as the Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, and Electoral Studies. He serves as an editor of the Japanese Journal of Political Science.

 

This event is part of The Japan Seminar Series, presented by the Centre for the Study of Global Japan and the Asian Institute at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto.