Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced his intention to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election. When his Liberal Democratic Party suffered a devastating loss in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly race in July and the popular approval ratings of his Cabinet plunged to its worst levels, it almost looked as if the days of his administration might be numbered. However, changes in various circumstances since then have led the prime minister to again go on the offensive.
First is the rise in international tensions over North Korea. The Abe administration has fueled public anxiety over North Korea's repeated missile firings and nuclear weapons tests and took advantage of the tension to rally popular support for the government. Abe devoted his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to condemning the North Korean regime.
Echoing the belligerent tone of U.S. President Donald Trump, he called it useless to seek dialogue with Pyongyang and called for greater pressure on the regime — in stark contrast with leaders of such countries as Russia and Germany who emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution. Foreign Minister Taro Kono prodded nations that hold diplomatic relations with North Korea to sever their ties, exposing a lack of understanding of diplomacy.