ABSTRACT
In December 2012 the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) emerged victorious in lower house elections, giving party leader, Shinzo Abe, a second tilt at the premiership. The election result was very much a protest vote against three years of highly anticipated yet immensely disappointing Democratic Party (DPJ) rule. Recognizing that the vote was far from a clear affirmation of support for the LDP and perhaps mindful of an unsuccessful first term in office when he seemed preoccupied with nationalist politics, Abe initially sought to reaffirm his pragmatist credentials by rolling out a much-needed three-pronged economic strategy of monetary easing, fiscal stimulation and all-important structural reform, dubbed ‘Abenomics’. Japan’s moribund economy soon responded, boosting Abe’s public support, which translated into a further victory for the LDP-New Kōmeitō coalition government in upper house elections in mid-2013, ending the political stalemate of a ‘twisted Diet’ (nejiri kokkai). The Abe administration has utilized this domestic support to usher in sweeping reforms to Japan’s defence policy, which, coupled with the Prime Minister’s re-emerging nationalist impulses, has raised regional tensions, especially with an increasingly assertive China.
