Publication

The commentary attempts to correct Western assessments of the December 2012 Japanese elections. While newly elected Prime Minister Abe has been termed a 'hawk' or 'nationalist' in Western media outlets, these terms carry different connotations in American discourse than they do in Japan. The author argues that any immediate analysis of the recent Japanese elections should acknowledge that Japanese voters consider economics and social welfare, not hawkish or dovish foreign policies, their most pressing concerns. Second, it is a mistake to read too much into the LDP's most recent win since there are both more dovish and more hawkish alternatives, respectively in the coalition and the opposition.