Why Japanese Voters Feel Hopeless
The Japanese have a term for hopelessness — shikata ga nai, “it can’t be helped.” Acceptance of things as they are is deeply embedded in the culture. It also explains why voters are so listless, and even despairing, in the run-up to the national election on Sunday.
Japan is in a recession. The popularity of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has been in power for all but four years since 1955, is plummeting. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an early election to pre-empt the coalescing of an opposition that could threaten his party’s control of Parliament.
Mr. Abe says he wants to revive the long-stagnant economy, but his policies have been anything but clear.… Seguir leyendo »