Gerald Curtis, a veteran scholar of Japanese politics, has predicted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will take a pragmatic approach to running his government, but cautioned that the "comfort woman" issue has significant bearing not just for Tokyo's relations with its Asian neighbors, but also its ties with Washington.
In a recent interview with Kyodo News, the Columbia University professor said he gives Abe a lot of credit for his political strategy of focusing attention on reinvigorating the anemic economy, with the aim of scoring a victory in the Upper House election this summer.
"I think he's learned a lot of lessons from his first unsuccessful year," Curtis said, referring to Abe's relatively brief one-year stint from September 2006 as prime minister. Abe's first term was highlighted by ideology, with a push for constitutional reform and patriotic education.