Abe’s Plunge

 

By Bill Lee

Once seemingly invincible in opinion polls, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s popularity among voters has plunged, his Cabinet’s approval ratings falling to 36% according to a recent Mainichi Shimbun poll.

Aside from the faltering economy, a string of recent controversies centering on Abe himself has triggered the plunge. It started with the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, which revealed Abe to be a supporter of very nationalistic, “moral” education, which, in turn, led government officials to sell public land to Moritomo Gakuen for 14% of the land’s real value.

Then came the presumed influence-peddling Kake Gakuin scandal. Documents, at first dismissed as false, kept turning up that showed Abe likely used his influence to win approval for the opening of a new veterinary science department at a university run by a close friend. Interspersed between the scandals was Abe’s ramming a conspiracy bill, the validity of which was questioned by a United Nations special rapporteur, through the parliament without going through usual legislative protocols. Abe’s authoritarian streak also showed itself when he lambasted protestors at a campaign stump speech just before the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in July, in which Abe’s LDP party suffered an embarrassing landslide defeat.

As an unexpected sidelight, Abe’s wife, Akie, was also the focus of news, coming not long after her role in the Moritomo Gakuen scandal. In a New York Times interview, President Donald Trump said that he had been seated next to Akie Abe at a G-20 Summit dinner but had a tough time making conversation with her because she has no English — “Like, not ‘hello.’” Some have said she speaks serviceable English but feigned inability because she wanted to avoid speaking to Trump. Possible, but very unlikely in my opinion, considering the importance Prime Minister Abe has invested in building a strong relationship with Trump. In any event, Akie’s apparent lack of English ability created major geopolitical repercussions. It was a long dinner, and likely bored trying to make conversation with Akie, Trump looked for an exit and happened to espy Vladimir Putin. POTUS walked over to Putin, and they started their infamous hour-long conversation, which disturbed other leaders who saw the closeness, and potential ramifications, of their dialogue.

What could save Abe? Look to North Korea and Kim Jong Un’s repeated ballistic missile tests. Both Abe and Trump, who has his own Russiagate problems, could play up the threat and use North Korea as a diversion from their domestic woes.

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