Japanese Prime Minister Asahi Hayato Bets on the House of Representatives Election to Promote Right-Wing Agenda

Deutsche Welle reports: Japan held a parliamentary election on Sunday (February 8). Prime Minister Akie Tamura hopes this election will bring her struggling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a significant enough victory to advance her ambitious conservative political agenda.

Recent polls in major Japanese newspapers suggest that Akie Tamura's LDP may win a simple majority of seats on its own, while her ruling coalition may win up to 300 seats. If the LDP fails to win a majority, she stated that "she would resign."

If Akie Tamura's alliance achieves a major victory, it could signal a significant rightward shift in Japan's policies on security, immigration, and other areas. Akie has promised to revise security and defense policies by December to enhance Japan's offensive military capabilities, lift the ban on arms exports, and further move away from Japan's post-war pacifist principles.

Comment: This is a political gamble for Akie Tamura, where she stakes her prime ministerial position and the post-war security framework of Japan. By proactively dissolving the House of Representatives and setting a "hard threshold" of resignation if she fails to secure a majority, she is essentially using election public opinion to "force passage," clearing the way for an aggressive right-wing agenda in the Diet. Polls show that the LDP is expected to win a majority alone, and the coalition is approaching 300 seats, indicating that Japan's political rightward shift and military relaxation are entering an irreversible fast track.

Her promise to revise the security and defense policies within the year, strengthen offensive military capabilities, fully lift the arms export ban, and further abandon pacifism is not a routine policy adjustment, but a systematic breakthrough of the post-war system, aiming to push toward becoming a "normal military state," directly impacting the East Asian security landscape and regional trust. For neighboring countries, this is not just an internal political choice, but a clear security threat signal; for Japan itself, it is exchanging the postponement of livelihood issues and the dilution of historical reflection for the complete dominance of the right-wing agenda.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856549829510154/

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