Reviews

This focuses on the August 2009 election which saw the massive victory of the Democratic party led by Yukio Hatoyama. The Liberal Democratic party (LDP), which had ruled Japan virtually without a break since 1955 paid the price for economic failure and long term voter dissatisfaction which was masked for a time by the skills of Koizumi. The new government is trying to rebalance relations with Asia, including China and the United States, where the marine base in Okinawa poses a particular challenge.