Japanese politics and politicians continue to face an overriding question: What kind of nation should Japan become? The question needs to be discussed among all political parties in ways that inspire the public. Unfortunately, that is not about to happen. Preoccupied with short-term responses to immediate problems, the governing parties and the opposition are not ready to meet the challenge.
The current political stagnation is attributed chiefly to the "anomaly" in the Diet — the opposition bloc holding a majority in the House of Councilors as a result of the ruling coalition's stunning defeat in last summer's Upper House election. More fundamentally, the stalemate stems from the inability of political parties as well as individual politicians to present for public discussion basic issues and basic principles of administration. By "basic issues" I mean, among other things, constitutional revision, education reform (focused on morals as well) and proactive diplomacy in Asia.
The Liberal Democratic Party has long advocated constitutional revision and education reform. The previous administration of Shinzo Abe, which had tried to tackle these issues, proved short-lived. The Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, which succeeded the Abe team, has its hands full working out problems left over from the beginning of the 21st century. Fukuda is a lucky man, I think, in the sense that he assumed power largely by chance. No wonder he is trying to run his administration safely by avoiding, at least for the time being, the kind of "adventures" his predecessor undertook.