With the effective collapse of the Democratic Party of Japan following its inauspicious period in office, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party have benefited greatly from the lack of an effective opposition. As Professor Koichi Nakano from Sophia University noted in these pages, "for the first time in postwar history, there is no opposition, no alternative to speak of in the party system." It is outside of the Diet — literally and figuratively — where Abe has encountered the most resistance.
Two issues that have proven particularly controversial have come to a head this summer: the security reform bills and the return to nuclear power. Both have generated concern and anger, and have led to a much wider range of people taking to the streets. These protests have illustrated that many people are opposed to Abe's policies, and have further undermined claims that he has a mandate to push ahead with these changes. Missing both in the Diet and the streets surrounding it, however, has been a clearer articulation of realistic alternatives to what the LDP government has been proposing.
When considering these controversial policies being pursued by Abe, there is understandably a tendency to focus on his revisionist beliefs, as well as the LDP's close ties with the nuclear village. While these are certainly important, it is also necessary to appreciate that he is responding to major strategic questions that Japan must deal with. To successfully oppose Abe, there is a need to come to terms with these difficult issues, and propose different answers, ones that go beyond "no."