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Japan's Election Was Closer Than Usual, Even Though Party in Power Has Hit Snooze
NY Times
By Motoko Rich and Hisako Ueno
Published Oct. 30, 2021
Updated Oct. 31, 2021, 11:22 a.m. ET
TOKYO — Japan has had no shortage of faceless prime ministers over the decades, a revolving door of leaders forgotten nearly as soon as they leave office. The most recent to hit the exit, who himself lasted only a year, was faulted for a communication style that often came across like a cure for insomnia.
Now comes Fumio Kishida, who was chosen as prime minister last month by the governing Liberal Democrats and led the party to victory on Sunday in a closer-than-usual parliamentary election.
Still, it looked to be the party’s worst result since it lost to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan in 2009.
In anointing Mr. Kishida, 64, last month, the Liberal Democrats passed over both an outspoken maverick who was popular with the public and a far-right nationalist who would have been Japan’s first female leader.
...
The rise of Mr. Kishida, a former foreign minister, is a potent reflection of the Liberal Democrats’ entrenched power in Japan. He was selected precisely because of his milquetoast persona, political experts said, as it allows behind-the-scenes power brokers to project their agenda onto him. And the party made its choice confident that it could win the election despite his lack of charisma.
Now comes Fumio Kishida, who was chosen as prime minister last month by the governing Liberal Democrats and led the party to victory on Sunday in a closer-than-usual parliamentary election.
Still, it looked to be the party’s worst result since it lost to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan in 2009.
In anointing Mr. Kishida, 64, last month, the Liberal Democrats passed over both an outspoken maverick who was popular with the public and a far-right nationalist who would have been Japan’s first female leader.
...
The rise of Mr. Kishida, a former foreign minister, is a potent reflection of the Liberal Democrats’ entrenched power in Japan. He was selected precisely because of his milquetoast persona, political experts said, as it allows behind-the-scenes power brokers to project their agenda onto him. And the party made its choice confident that it could win the election despite his lack of charisma.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/30/world/asia/japan-election-fumio-kishida.html
“He’s almost like a figurehead for other figures in the party to get their ideas through,”... Almost?