politics

The numbers to watch in Japan's upper house elections

21 Comments
By Kiyoshi Takenaka

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Personally I wouldn't care if my children were not Japanese, but they are. And I just worry like hell about their future.

It could be worse. If your kids were unable to leave the country for greener pastures then things would be looking even bleaker… but I guess if you were living in a place like that you’d perhaps not know better yourself.

So living in a somewhat free country is a blessing and a curse.

For my kids, I hope to garner them with options. Even in Japan it is possible to have a successful life, but the odds are probably going to be better elsewhere. Still, looking around the globe right now, I am not sure which country has really “nailed it”, and remains open to young immigrants.

So long as the kids have options, then what more can one do?

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Let me add something to the data:

3 & 6 MILLIONS YEN - DEPOSIT REQUIRED FOR CANDIDACY

If you are to run in any election district, 3 million yen must be put to the public office for registration. The same is true but with 6 million yen if you are to join as a party member for the proportional representation.

The deposit would be confiscated if the candidate fails to gain the sufficient amount of votes or voting rate (whose numbers vary depending on the number of candidates and which election level).

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Turnout has been particularly low among younger voters in recent elections, in contrast to typically high rates among the elderly, making it hard for the youth to have their voice heard in a rapidly aging society

Vote for the one party oligopoly who wants you to pay taxes to revitalize the tourist industry and pay for cash flush senior's silver lifestyles or throw away your vote on a fringe party with a tiny roster of candidates who have good policies.

Classic Hobson's Choice there.

7 ( +15 / -8 )

Turnout has been particularly low among younger voters in recent elections, in contrast to typically high rates among the elderly, making it hard for the youth to have their voice heard in a rapidly aging society.

What do people expect? With no education regarding the political system, no "love" (patriotism NOT nationalism), no sense of the importance to vote or participate in the political process, it's sad, but easy to understand why the younger generation does not vote.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is aiming for a convincing win in upper house of parliament elections on Sunday to enhance its ability to push through policies to tackle rising prices and bolster defense.

I wonder how this will turn out.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The target is seen as doable for Kishida. A survey by public broadcaster NHK recently showed that 35.6% of those polled supported the LDP, far ahead of the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's 5.8%.

This is short of in-depth analysis, as the largest LDP has actually been fragmental and often conflicting among its several in-party factions over key policy agendas. In other words, the largest opposition exists within the LDP, not to mention Komeito, the junior coalition partner, whose political orientation seems closer to the centrist non-LDP opposition groups.

The election outcome is thus not final; the post-election rivalry and deals (namely over cabinet/committee portfolios) among the factions are crucial.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Any govt other than the LDP that gets in has to deal with an entrenched corrupt public service that makes their lives impossible and makes the incoming govt look incompetent so they only last one term if lucky.

Absolute sham of a system! May as well vote for the emperor…

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Honestly the aging population and aging politicians we just have to wait for both to die, then Japan will be able to press a refresh button and build a happy sustainable society. I hope. There is not any chance while the current stands.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

They have no focus on rising prices! It has no effect on policy makers at all. What they want is a Nippon Kaigie constitution based in the 1930s . Conscripts into the army, The state being more important than the individual, happens now but not in law. Well companies now have the same protection as it was in 1930. It’s bizarre an education system churns out so many backward thinkers? But it’s Japan? Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Honestly the aging population and aging politicians we just have to wait for both to die, then Japan will be able to press a refresh button and build a happy sustainable society. I hope. There is not any chance while the current stands.

Quite ironically, judging from turnouts by age, it is older generations who support democracy in Japan. With all these elderly voters gone naturally, I wonder what type of regimes younger Japanese would really like to seek. A happy sustainable society under harsh dictatorship?

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Japan is like a communist country. A country being ruled by one party with oppositions as mere decorations in order to create an illusion that it's a democracy.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Tokyo ward elections . . . they must be pretty confident if they think they can double their numbers . . . .

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's 5.8%.

Don’t think they will be the largest opposition party much longer.

Sadly, even the new largest opposition party’s policy promises have been rather unimpressive and papering over the harsh realities facing this wrong-track country.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

It’s a one horse race in Japan and has been for decades-nothing remotely ‘exciting’ about that headline in the article.

How do young people feel about Japan going forward?

Well, my 20 year old just wants out of Japan after university and he came to that conclusion without prompting from me…

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

Well, my 20 year old just wants out of Japan after university and he came to that conclusion without prompting from me…

He's got a good head on his shoulders

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Turnout has been particularly low among younger voters in recent elections, in contrast to typically high rates among the elderly, making it hard for the youth to have their voice heard in a rapidly aging society.

So this is how Japan does it, discourage gen X, Y, Z to not vote.

@fxgai - Even in Japan it is possible to have a successful life, but the odds are probably going to be better elsewhere

Name a better Asian or Euro country then that can beat Japan. Best Infrastructure in Asia, and better than most OECD coupled with low cost of living and reasonable social security (if you're a Japanese citizen), There's also excess Industrial capacity (ie room for growth), and now with an extremely competitive exchange rate AND the lowest inflation in the western world. ALL things of envy.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Vote for the one party oligopoly who wants you to pay taxes to revitalize the tourist industry and pay for cash flush senior's silver lifestyles or throw away your vote on a fringe party with a tiny roster of candidates who have good policies.

Its not even that. They do this song and dance- The numbers to watch in Japan's upper house elections

OOOHHH! like its sooo important...

Everyone knows that the opposition is fragmented by design, and the electoral system is gerrymandered to always affect a desirable outcome for the LDP through the agricultural communities. And EVEN IF they somehow thrashed the LDP in the upper house and took it decisively the LDP will never lose the more important and more powerful lower house. What a sham.

Honestly the aging population and aging politicians we just have to wait for both to die, then Japan will be able to press a refresh button and build a happy sustainable society. I hope. There is not any chance while the current stands.

I wish that was the case my friend but the country is still aging, and even if it wasn't I don't see much hope as the young people today are far more racist and nationalist than I remember 20 plus years ago. Personally I wouldn't care if my children were not Japanese, but they are. And I just worry like hell about their future.

-7 ( +8 / -15 )

Be positive, plan B get those you love away from Japan. It’s toxic on so many levels.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

plan B get those you love away from Japan. It’s toxic on so many levels.

hear hear!

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

It could be worse.

I know that better than anyone. My father's side of the Family is from Aleppo Syria, so I hear you.

If your kids were unable to leave the country for greener pastures then things would be looking even bleaker… but I guess if you were living in a place like that you’d perhaps not know better yourself.

No I think you'd know as the poor people of Syria found out over the past decade or so.

So living in a somewhat free country is a blessing and a curse.

For my kids, I hope to garner them with options. Even in Japan it is possible to have a successful life, but the odds are probably going to be better elsewhere.

NO argument there.

Still, looking around the globe right now, I am not sure which country has really “nailed it”, and remains open to young immigrants.

Nowhere has nailed it perfectly, but given the option, I'd sell our house and 2 cars and move to Canada. Pronto.

So long as the kids have options, then what more can one do?

That's the thing. I don't know how many options they'll have growing up. Really scared for their future with the way this country is going

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

If women win 29 seats or more out of the 125 this time, that would be a record.

dare to dream big, japan………

Why not go for the ultimate record and get 31 women? Wait, no, 32!

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

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