Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks set to win a rare second consecutive term as party president but economists predict he won't use that victory to push through bold reforms such as labor market changes that are considered vital for long-term growth.
Instead, Abe, who took office in a December 2012 pledging to reboot the economy, will stick to the politically palatable policies of government spending and easy money — the first and second "arrows" of his "Abenomics" recipe, economists polled by Reuters said.
Abe has spent significant political capital this past year pushing unpopular legislation, expected to pass this month, that could let Japanese troops fight overseas for the first time since World War II. He was also busy crafting a controversial statement to mark the 70th anniversary of that conflict's end.