Japan Votes 2017

[Shrillland]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41385735

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called an election a year early and will dissolve parliament on Thursday.
Mr Abe said he was seeking a fresh mandate to overcome "a national crisis" amid rising threats from North Korea.
His decision comes amid rebounding approval ratings after a record low over the summer and with the opposition largely in disarray.
Mr Abe did not set a date for the vote but Japanese media suggest it will be on 22 October.
Mr Abe's support has surged as rising tensions with North Korea have overshadowed criticism of alleged cronyism.
The prime minister also announced a 2tn yen ($17.8bn, £13.2bn) stimulus package on education and social spending.
In a press conference on Monday evening, he said the fresh stimulus was needed for programmes to prepare Japan for the future.
He also said he would continue on his path of fiscal reform and would use the revenue from the recently introduced sales tax to balance the budget and reduce debt.
Why snap elections?
Analysts see the early vote as his way to seize the resurgent support and exploit the current weakness of the opposition.
For months, Mr Abe's popular support has been badly hit by a string of scandals and unpopular policies.
In July, his ratings had dropped to less than 30% but then recovered to above 50% in September.
He denies allegations of cronyism and on Monday said dissolving the lower house was not an attempt at avoiding those allegations.
Mr Abe is also is trying to push through a controversial shift in Japan's post-war pacifist defence policy, calling for formal recognition of the military in the constitution.
Japan's post-war constitution puts severe limitations on military activity
Who will he be running against?
While Mr Abe's tough stance on North Korea has helped him regain support, his Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) campaign is also expected to focus on social policies at home.
The main opposition Democratic Party went through a tumultuous leadership resignation in July and is currently struggling with single-digit poll ratings.
But Mr Abe faces a new challenge from a former LDP cabinet member, current Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who earlier on Monday announced she was forming a new national political party.
If current opinion polls are confirmed at the ballot box in October, Mr Abe will remain prime minister but his current coalition with the smaller Komeito party might fail to secure the two-thirds majority needed for his plan to revise the constitution.
If he wins another term, it would put Mr Abe on track to becoming the country's longest-serving political leader in Japan's post-war history.

In an attempt to take advantage of his(and the LDP's) surging popularity in light of North Korea's increasingly bellicose tone and possibly amend the constitution with a larger majority, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called a snap election in the House of Representatives.

Although no date has officially been set since the formal dissolution won't be until Thursday, it will most likely be on October 22 or 29 according to most experts. So, here we are with another major election this year, which could change the region and the world, particularly if Abe and the LDP get enough seats to amend Japan's constitution to create real armed forces as opposed to the Self-Defence Forces they currently have.

Here's how it'll go down: There are 465 seats up for grabs, 289 of which are FPTP single-member constituencies, the rest are regional blocs elected by proportional party lists with d'Hondt as the counting method.

And here are the parties:

Liberal Democratic Party(LDP): Nationalist, Right-wing, Social Conservative, Economic Liberal

Constitutional Democratic Party(CDP): Centre-left, Liberal

Kibo no To(Party of Hope)-including former Democratic Party: Big tent, reformist, conservative, considerable centre-left element

Komeito(Current coalition partner): Centre-right, Social Conservative, Political Buddhist

Japanese Communist Party(JCP): Pacifist, Communist, Left-wing

Nippon Ishin no Kai AKA Initiatives from Japan: Localist, Centre-right, Pro-limited government

So, who do you support, NSG?

Honestly, I support the Democrats, but I also know that there's practically no chance of them getting elected despite the Japanese people's reticence at the idea of constitutional change to create armed forces. The LDP will win, it's just a matter of whether or not they will have enough Representatives to do what Abe wants.

EDIT 9/28/2017: The Democratic Party has disbanded, and all representatives will be running as members of the new Kibo no To Party instead. The poll has been changed to reflect this, though I couldn't actually reset the numbers.

EDIT 10/4/2017: A contingent of left-leaning former Democrats led by Yukio Edano have formed the Constitutional Democratic Party, and it's already reached second place behind the LDP in terms of Twitter followers, which could probably mean good numbers on election day. Accordingly, I've added them to the poll, and consequently, the poll is reset. My apologies to all who have voted, but after looking at the postwar history, almost every party but the LDP tends to morph like this...hopefully, it won't happen again.

[War Gears]

As much as I'm not a fan of Abe (whose much too moderate and weak-willed) I would more than likely vote for the LDP because of their nationalist and capitalist policies. They seem like one of the few parties actually able to lead Japan, in spite of the weakness of their PM. Them aside, Komeito would be an acceptable replacement because of their Buddhist dedication.

[Topoliani]

The LDP is fake news, they aren't Liberals

I would support them anyways if I lived in Japan

[Communist Xomaniax]

I'd support the Japanese Communist Party.

[Trumptonium]

The Liberal Democratic Party is about as nationalist as Austrian Liberals and as socially conservative as UK Conservatives.

The name is fake and the traditional leaning is eroded.

Nevertheless if I was Japanese it would be the LDP simply because there's no credible right alternative and Komeito seems like nuts. The Democratic Party seems like an absolute fifth column to Japan. I would probably support the Japanese Innovation Party if it still existed, or the Japanese Restoration Party. It's a shame the Innovation Party merged with the Democrats. Why go from 3rd in the election to merging with utter awful people.

[Shrillland]

The Liberal Democratic Party is about as nationalist as Austrian Liberals and as socially conservative as UK Conservatives.

The name is fake and the traditional leaning is eroded.

Nevertheless if I was Japanese it would be the LDP simply because there's no credible right alternative and Komeito seems like nuts. The Democratic Party seems like an absolute fifth column to Japan. I would probably support the Japanese Innovation Party if it still existed, or the Japanese Restoration Party. It's a shame the Innovation Party merged with the Democrats. Why go from 3rd in the election to merging with utter awful people.

The Democrats are a fifth column for who, exactly?

Also, they are classical liberal in the sense that they believe in less regulations than most of their contemporaries save for Innovations.

[Valgora]

I'll go with the Japanese Communist Party, even though I don't really like pacifism.

[Trumptonium]

The Liberal Democratic Party is about as nationalist as Austrian Liberals and as socially conservative as UK Conservatives.

The name is fake and the traditional leaning is eroded.

Nevertheless if I was Japanese it would be the LDP simply because there's no credible right alternative and Komeito seems like nuts. The Democratic Party seems like an absolute fifth column to Japan. I would probably support the Japanese Innovation Party if it still existed, or the Japanese Restoration Party. It's a shame the Innovation Party merged with the Democrats. Why go from 3rd in the election to merging with utter awful people.

The Democrats are a fifth column for who, exactly?

To Japanese society. They want a Canadian-like migrant importation program.

Also, they are classical liberal in the sense that they believe in less regulations than most of their contemporaries save for Innovations.

The Innovations don't exist anymore. What are you talking about?

[Internationalist Bastard]

Wait you can just call an election because your party's popular at the moment? That seems like a horrible abuse in the parliamentary system

[Shrillland]

The Democrats are a fifth column for who, exactly?

To Japanese society. They want a Canadian-like migrant importation program.

Also, they are classical liberal in the sense that they believe in less regulations than most of their contemporaries save for Innovations.

The Innovations don't exist anymore. What are you talking about?

My mistake, I meant Initiatives. And what's wrong with expanding the number of migrants? Japan has a fairly closed system that doesn't allow a whole lot of people to come in on a regular basis, and their population is aging and starting to dwindle.

[Kennlind]

Throwing my support to the JCP and to NGK.

To Japanese society. They want a Canadian-like migrant importation program.



The Innovations don't exist anymore. What are you talking about?

My mistake, I meant Initiatives. And what's wrong with expanding the number of migrants? Japan has a fairly closed system that doesn't allow a whole lot of people to come in on a regular basis, and their population is aging and starting to dwindle.

Natalism is a better alternative to opening borders.

[Shrillland]

Wait you can just call an election because your party's popular at the moment? That seems like a horrible abuse in the parliamentary system

That's why Britain passed its legislation...and then disregarded it, but still.

The only question is whether or not the LDP's popular enough to amend the constitution, and that's not completely set in stone yet.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Wait you can just call an election because your party's popular at the moment? That seems like a horrible abuse in the parliamentary system

That's why Britain passed its legislation...and then disregarded it, but still.

The only question is whether or not the LDP's popular enough to amend the constitution, and that's not completely set in stone yet.

Still, seems like a glaring hole in the system

[The Halakha]

The rise of predatory China and nuclear-armed NK justifies an offensive military. Japan is among the countries that spends the most on defense and is currently looking to expand into arms exports; hopefully this legislation will help the economy and increase Japan's safety.

[Internationalist Bastard]

The rise of predatory China and nuclear-armed NK justifies an offensive military. Japan is among the countries that spends the most on defense and is currently looking to expand into arms exports; hopefully this legislation will help the economy and increase Japan's safety.

But I stand by they need to keep it called the Defense Force

[MERIZoC]

The Communist party is the most reasonable and levelheaded choice for Japan. LDP and Komeito are stuck in the imperialist past still, and the prevalence of Nippon Kaigi in the government is quite worrying.

JCP are not apologists for war crimes and atrocities, and have no intention of stoking tensions that don't need to be stoked, unlike the governing parties. They are progressive, with their minds in the 21st century with regards to social issues, a field the other parties are sorely lacking in. Lastly, they want to democratize an economy that so sorely needs it. The Japanese are overworked, alienated, and facing a demographic crisis. It's time to expand the welfare state and boost unions and worker's rights.

[The Liberated Territories]

I am not familiar with Japanese politics, but I like Nippon Ishin no Kai from what I know.

[The Liberated Territories]

The Communist party is the most reasonable and levelheaded choice for Japan.

lol when has a communist party of any country been reasonable?

[MERIZoC]

The Communist party is the most reasonable and levelheaded choice for Japan.

lol when has a communist party of any country been reasonable?

I am not familiar with Japanese politics

[Fauxia]

I don't really like Abe, but I support LDP

[Dumb Ideologies]

I vote for whichever party is least likely to take the trap, shota and loli manga away.

[Internationalist Bastard]

I vote for whichever party is least likely to take the trap, shota and loli manga away.

Which party will make anime real?

[Fauxia]

I vote for whichever party is least likely to take the trap, shota and loli manga away.

Lol

[The Liberated Territories]

lol when has a communist party of any country been reasonable?

I am not familiar with Japanese politics

I don't need to know about Japanese politics to know that voting for communists is a bad idea. Soviet Japanese Union doesn't appeal to meh

However perhaps comrade Merizoc can enlighten is why.repeating the USSR, Venezuela, Cuba or North Korea is a good idea?

[MERIZoC]

I don't need to know about Japanese politics to know that voting for communists is a bad idea. Soviet Japanese Union doesn't appeal to meh

However perhaps comrade Merizoc can enlighten is why.repeating the USSR, Venezuela, Cuba or North Korea is a good idea?

All four of those countries utilize(d) quite different systems and produced quite different results, and JCP is still different from all of them. They're democratic, progressive, and pacifist. They aren't attached to Shinto cults or beholden to American interests.