IN THE dark-suited male world of Japanese politics, the front-runner in the race to lead the main opposition party is a breath of fresh air. If the young and charismatic former TV host who goes by the single name of Renho emerges from the election on September 15th as the new chief of the Democratic Party (DP), many members believe it will improve the party’s fortunes. “We need a female leader for a new image,” says Katsuya Okada, the outgoing leader, who supports Renho (pictured).
The party fared badly at elections in July for half of the seats in the upper house. It lost 11, leaving it with just 49 of the 242 seats in the chamber. This handed the ruling coalition the two-thirds majority in both houses needed to change Japan’s constitution, a pet project of Shinzo Abe, the prime minister.
Yet a new face will not be enough to revive the DP. For one thing, opposition parties always struggle in Japan. Mr Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has only been out of power for a total of four years since 1955. Many Japanese and much of the civil service (not to mention the party...Continue reading
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