This campaign season differs from others in many ways, but none so exasperatingly as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's refusing to meet with the foreign press. The LDP announced it would not hold its regular press conference with foreign journalists this time around, claiming they are too busy. Combined with other LDP-related issues, this refusal reveals a disturbing aspect of the LDP's approach to campaigning and to governing.
For many years in Japan, foreign journalists were not allowed to attend regular press conferences for Japanese journalists. Instead, foreign journalists were given access to government and party representatives at specially arranged press conferences, usually held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), a fee-paying club that serves as the host for news conferences with important politicians, entertainers, academics and other notables. For this election, for the first time in many years, the LDP did not agree to meet the foreign press there.
Busy as the LDP no doubt is, perhaps the fear of being questioned too aggressively is the real reason for not showing up. The press conferences at FCCJ tend to follow the world standard of serious, probing questions about political positions and actual issues. The impression left is that the LDP wants to avoid any serious scrutiny on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies. If they believe their policies are really the right ones, they should be seeking opportunities to promote themselves, not running for cover.