TOKYO -- The election of Shinzo Abe as postwar Japan's youngest prime minister signals more than a change at the helm. Abe not only symbolizes a generational change in Japanese politics but also is the face of an assertive new Japan intent on shaping the power balance in Asia in a way that China does not dominate.
The most far-reaching but least-noticed development in Asia in the new century has been Japan's political resurgence. Japan is set to formally break out of its pacifist cocoon by revising its U.S.-imposed Constitution and eliminating the military proscription enshrined in Article 9 -- a goal high on Abe's agenda.
With Japanese pride and assertiveness rising, the nationalistic impulse has already become noticeable.