AP News, August 11th, 2007
The Liberal Democrats won election after election for five decades, but now some analysts say Japan may be evolving toward a two-party system like the U.S. after the ruling party faced the biggest challenge yet to its grip on power.
The relatively young Democratic Party became the top party in the 242-seat upper house of parliament for the first time ever after last month's election.
The Liberal Democrats still control the more powerful lower house, which picks the prime minister. But their seats in the upper house plunged from 109 to 84.
And calls are rising by the day, even within the ruling party, for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to step down to take responsibility for the election disaster and slipping support in newspaper polls.
"Japan is changing toward a political system that allows people to choose between two major parties," said Yumiko Himei of the Democratic Party, who triumphed against veteran 72-year-old Toranosuke Katayama in the July 29 balloting. "We are taking a brave first step in that direction."
The Democratic Party, founded in 1998, won with promises that appeal to voters in concrete, new ways _ a reliable pension system, checks on political financing, a higher minimum wage, help for farmers, and a 26,000 yen, or $220, monthly allowance per child.
The popularity of their platform underlines how longtime loyalties nurtured by the ruling party have all but vanished _ even in former stronghold rural areas.
Aggressive economic reforms led by the ruling party in recent years worked to open Japan's market and privatize government-controlled sectors.
But the reforms, designed to make the world's second-biggest economy more competitive in keeping up with global changes, alienated chunks of what had been ruling-party support by slashing public works spending and farming subsidies.
The Democrats are demanding the government fix the pension system, which has outraged Japanese with a loss of 50 million people's records and allegations of corrupt spending.
The Democrats are also questioning what they say is the Liberal Democrats' blanket support of U.S. foreign policies that have committed troops in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ichiro Ozawa, the head of the Democratic Party, has said he may push for legislation to cancel the airlift operations for Iraq. He opposes extending a naval mission to the Indian Ocean to provide logistical support for U.S. operations in Afghanistan.
"It's all about the change of power, from man to woman, from old to young," said Chiaki Yoshii, who stumped for Himei. "The world of politics is going to change to something that's closer to everyday people."
Although Japan has modernized, boasting top global companies such as Sony and Toyota, and Asia's biggest stock market, it has never offered a fully developed democratic option in politics.
In the past, when the Liberal Democrats suffered humiliating defeats at the polls, over a sex scandal or new taxes, voters were more interested in warning the Liberal Democrats to shape up, than in seeing the opposition in power.
The Liberal Democrats always would bounce back with promises for change, sometimes switching coalition partners among opposition parties.
This time, things are different, said political analyst Eiken Itagaki, reflecting widespread opinion here.
Itagaki said the Democrats are proving effective in wooing voter support by pushing liberal policies, while the Liberal Democrats offer a conservative, more pro-business option.
"People's fears are growing, and that erupted like a volcano in the election," he said. "Japan has become a dog-eat-dog society of haves and have-nots."
