Having tabulated the predictions made over the course of my election handbook, I think it’s appropriate that I return and answer my initial question. Can the DPJ win an absolute majority? Based on my district-by-district predictions, I think the DPJ could win 279 seats, the LDP 159 seats, Komeito fifteen seats, the JCP and PNP …
Continue reading The DPJ can win a majority — but what will it mean?
One thing that the Japanese press provides is copious amounts of numbers. Within hours of the start of the campaign Tuesday the media released data on the demographics of the 1374 candidates who will be vying for office. A few figures struck me as particularly important. It will be an election based on direct contests …
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has issued its first white paper as the Ministry of Defense, and it seems that this year’s edition is unique in its focus on China as a threat to Japan. And it seems that the Yomiuri Shimbun is quite pleased by this, according to its editorial today. Citing America’s debate on …
While Asia has been largely absent from debates among Republican and Democratic candidates for their respective parties’ presidential nominations — much to my chagrin — the Washington Post reports that John Hamre of CSIS organized a dinner for Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo to meet with the foreign policy advisers of a number of …
Tobias S. Harris 