Thursday, October 19, 2017, 12:00 - 14:00

"Election Insight"

Language: The Speech and Q&A will be in Englsih

Despite initial speculations that Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's newly founded Kibo no To, or the Party of Hope, might bring another political remapping to Japan's political dynamics,early polls show that her party might not have as much "hope" as she envisioned.

Polls conducted last week show that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party could score a simple majority. Nikkei Shimbun, Japan's business daily, even reported that the coalition of LDP and New Komeito could secure 300 seats of the 465-seat Lower House. But these early polls might not show that voters are proactively endorsing Abe's LDP. Nikkei also found 48 percent of their respondents do not support Abe's cabinet, while only 37 percent said they do.

So the question is what has happened to Kibo, which debuted on the day the Diet was dissolved with an online video showing Koike's party is determined to break the male-dominated and vested interest-ridden political establishment? One explanation may be that Koike's so-called elimination tactics -- that she refuse to tap any Democratic Party candidates if they do disagree with her stance on Japan's Constitution or the security law -- could have alienated some voters. That elimination theory, instead, gave some boost to Yukio Edano, a former Democratic Party lawmaker, to form a new party named Rikken Mishu To or the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan

There are many explanations and we are expecting lots of drama up until the last minute before election day. The club is inviting Tobias Harris, Political Risk Analyst & Vice President at Teneo Intelligence, and Michael Thomas Cucek, Adjunct Professor at Temple University and Waseda University, to talk about the election insight and the implication of the election in Japanese politics.

Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website(still & TV cameras inclusive). The charge for members/members' guest is 1,750/2,700 yen; non-members eligible to attend may pay in cash by e mail reservation (front@fccj.or.jp). (Menu:grilled pork with mustard demi-glace sauce.) Reservations canceled less than one hour in advance for working press members, and 24 hours for all others, will be charged in full. Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation. For meal service, please enter the room by 12:25.

Professional Activities Committee

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Tobias Harris                        Michael Thomas Cucek