Campaign Get Started

With a magic of virtual economic recovery, the Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, embarked on the campaign for the election of the House of Councillors on Thursday. An overall question cast on the campaign is whether current revitalization of Japan economy is real or fake. Although economy is actually wrapped up with optimistic views, money departed the central bank has not been distributed to each family. Nevertheless, supporting rate for the leading party shows high digits.

To the target of doubling money supply in two years, the monetary base in June marked 18% of surplus from April, when the Bank of Japan started “monetary ease on different dimension.” However, money has not so much been supplied from commercial banks to industries as expected. That phenomenon shows that business activities have not been sufficiently vitalized by Abenomics policies. As long as money is staying in banks, income of families will not increase, leaving voters frustration with economic policies.

In the kick-off speech of the campaign in Fukushima, Abe emphasized the achievement of his economic handlings in stock market, foreign exchange and large size corporation. But he had to admit that some people would not realize the recovery. Instead, he told the audience positive impact on tourism. “If money is circulated in the public, there will be a great number of tourist coming in Fukushima,” appealed him. Are you serious, Mr. Prime Minister? It’s not tourism for people in Fukushima, you know, but nuclear.

Still, overall support is supposed to be going to leading Liberal Democratic Party. In the mood of virtual growth, there is a sort of disappointment to opposite parties. The appeals of Democratic Party of Japan that Japan needs to expand middle class is not accepted with reality. In the time of its administration, they failed to save sufficient budget for the policies to support families with kids, high school students and old agers. Their appeals to improve ordinary life is not as much popular as four years ago, when they took over LDP.

With the growing reliance on LDP, the Restoration Party is getting to be unnecessary existence. For conservative movement, LDP is more realistic and reliable to achieve their goals than Restoration Party. Stressing the difference from LDP and DPJ, Your Party and Communist Party is expecting some progress in the election. But, it is unlikely that they will be building new framework of cooperation of opposite powers after the election. The rest of the opposites are going to be lucky, if they get one or two seats.