Two Major Foreign Policy Issues in Japanese Politics.

(From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI))

Byline: Shiraishi Takashi

The snap election called by Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro was held on September 11. Koizumi made the issue of postal reform the centerpiece of his election campaign, but the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) under Okada Katsuya argued that there were other important issues besides postal reform which needed to be addressed by the government.

What was notable about this election campaign was the lack of real debate between the two major contending parties. This was not simply a question of differences in their campaign strategies. Rather, it was due to a fundamental lack of clarity in their positions on the vital question of Japan's future. In particular, there was a great deal of confusion surrounding the question of what to do with the so-called "Japan model" of a capitalist and welfare society built on the promise of equality and prosperity.

Because of the ballooning government debt and the aging population, the creation of such an ideal society is incredibly difficult. Japan's future can be spelled out in terms of two opposing poles: efficiency vs. fairness. Efficiency would demand the streamlining of the bloated government and the elimination of wasteful expenditure, while fairness calls for protecting the weak, the poor and the elderly. All the smaller parties such as the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the new parties created by former members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) advocated retaining the Japan model. This means putting heavy emphasis on the question of fairness. The LDP under Koizumi which had purged the "conservatives" moved its position closer to the pole of efficiency, while the DPJ had opted for the middle ground between fairness and efficiency because its own members have been deeply divided over these issues.

Unfortunately, foreign policy has not figured significantly in the public debate, while both the LDP and the DPJ have interestingly clearly stated their positions. Both parties have acknowledged the importance of the Japan-US alliance and have called for the creation of an East Asian Community. However, there have been subtle but significant differences in their positions.

The LDP has adopted a confident-nationalist stance, or rin to shita gaiko which is hard to translate but can be roughly rendered as a "head held high" posture. It has argued that the Japan-US alliance and international cooperation are the two main bases of Japan's diplomacy, and has envisioned peaceful diplomacy through international cooperation on the bedrock of the Japan-US alliance. It has also called for confident leadership in Asian diplomacy, improved relations with China, South Korea and other neighboring countries and the promotion of an Asian "community." I should add that the "nationalist" stance of the LDP has been different from the inward-looking, Japan-centric nationalism which is advocated by some politicians, intellectuals and people whose opinions have been aired in conservative newspapers and small-circulation magazines.