Abe Would Reinforce Conservative Path
It appears likely that Shinzo Abe will be the next prime minister of Japan. This Asia Times article takes a detailed look of what his accession may mean for Japan's foreign policy and its relationship with the United States. One recent development the writer mentions, which is validated by my conversations with friends in Japan, is the rise of a new nationalism. The arrival of Abe will likely strengthen this trend.

It seems only natural that, 60 years after World War II, Japanese feel more confident about their country's role on the world stage and less guilty about its past atrocities. On the other hand, the level of hostility toward Japan still runs high in countries like Korea that experienced Japanese imperialism. The anger over visits to Yasukuni Shrine by leading Japanese politicians may seem overdone, but they remain a source of contention and resentment by Japan's neighbors.

Whether any of this will mean much for Japan's economy is open to question. Businesspeople of whatever nation want the highest quality goods and services at the lowest price, and political considerations are secondary at best. And as the article suggets, even Abe may may decide that such gestures as visiting Yasukuni Shrine may be more trouble than they are worth. Indeed, just as the Republican rank-and-file have generally acquiesced in spending by George Bush that they wouldn't have accepted from a Democratic president, the Japanese right-wing may feel relaxed about a prime minister Abe who foregoes visits to Yasukuni.