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Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, came to power in 1955. At that time it had a two-pronged approach. The first was to align with the West in the Cold War and the second was to grow Japan’s economy.

These simple political manifestos are now defunct. The Cold War is over and the economic miracle has stalled.

Discussing Japanese politics and the demise of the LDP with Shibuya246 and a few other friends, I asked them in a ‘nutshell’ what they thought the DPJ stood for and what changes are in wind for Japan without the LDP in power?

Has the DPJ won in a landslide victory because of the popularity of its policies and leadership? Or has the LDP lost because of years of corruption and economic mismanagement?

Naoto Kan at the podium, August 2009, in Chiba

The above photo is of Naoto Kan, who is known for his anti-bureaucratic stance.

Other key characters of the DPJ include Ichiro Ozawa known for his attempts to undermine the US-Japan alliance during the Koizumi-Bush days of power.

Then there is Katsuya Okada whose agenda has focused on Japan developing more of an Asianist foreign policy.

And of course the leader of the DPJ, Yukio Hatoyama, who has focused on domestic issues and the public’s disenchantment with the LDP.

Our discussions as J-bloggers centered around the questions more than the answers. These questions included…

How easy will the transition of over fifty years in government be for the Japanese politicians and civil servants?

How popular with the DPJ be when they start making changes?

Of course we surmised that what Japan needs is strong leadership.

And further questions were raised as to whether the DPJ are ready for this challenge? Can they maintain their popularity once they start to make changes and get on with the job of governing Japan?

Moreover, now that the LDP have lost the election, do they understand what the job of opposition is? And how effective will they be?

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