Author: Purnendra Jain, Adelaide University and Tokyo University

A Japanese prefectural governor does not usually resign to run for office as city mayor — with significantly less authority, power and prestige.

But these are not usual times in Osaka and flamboyant, media-savvy, highly popular Osaka Governor, Toru Hashimoto, has taken this unusual move. Read more…

Author: Purnendra Jain, University of Adelaide

On 8 June, Prime Minister Naoto Kan completes his first year in office, an extraordinary achievement in contemporary Japanese politics.

His four predecessors all resigned after less than a year in office — Shinzo Abe, Yasuo Fukuda and Taro Aso of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Yukio Hatoyama despite leading the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to an overwhelming electoral victory in 2009 after more than half a century of virtually solid LDP rule. Read more…

Author: Purnendra Jain, University of Adelaide

Japan is likely to sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with India as early as when India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Tokyo later this year. Media reports on Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada’s visit to New Delhi last month reveal that negotiations for an agreement are already under way. This is a remarkable development given Japan’s international pre-eminence as a voice against nuclear proliferation and its continued strong criticism of India’s nuclear policy, voiced most loudly in response to India’s nuclear tests in 1998.

Why has Japan changed its position? Read more…

Author: Purnendra Jain, University of Adelaide

Last week, Kan Naoto became Japan’s prime minister following the resignation of Hatoyama Yukio as prime minister and President of the Democratic Party of Japan. Kan has a very different political trajectory from most of his colleagues across political parties in Japan. He is not a hereditary politician; his rise in politics cannot be ascribed to working as a staffer with an eminent politician; and he never stood in any local elections. He is a ‘self-made’ politician. He got elected to the House of Representatives in 1980 after three unsuccessful attempts at a parliamentary seat, in 1976, 1977 and 1979. It took him roughly ten years of hard work and political skill to win at a national election in 1980 through unconventional support organisations.

After graduating in applied physics from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1970, Kan began his political activities organising citizen’s movements focusing on the problems of housing, medical facilities, pollution and environmental protection. Read more…