Politics Series of LDP scandals result in approval rates of below 20%

The Times reported on the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan's ruling party, which has historically weathered challenges, persisting even when expected to decline.

However, a recent surge of scandals has led to record-low public approval ratings and prompted the party to take action. For over 70 years, the LDP has maintained its influence, except for brief interruptions in 1993 and 2009. Since November, the LDP has been in crisis management mode, responding to a major scandal involving underreported and misallocated funds from internal factions' fundraising events. This controversy led to senior lawmakers and officials resigning, a cabinet reshuffle, and the establishment of a political reform task force. On 7 March, the task force approved penalties for LDP lawmakers involved in fundraising violations. Additionally, the party recently implemented rules prohibiting the creation and continuation of intraparty factions.

However, these efforts have been overshadowed by recent scandals involving party members. According to a report by the local newspaper Sankei, the Wakayama chapter of the LDP organized a hotel event for the party's Youth Division in November. The event featured five female dancers in lingerie, and party officials and legislators were allegedly present. Video footage obtained by Sankei reportedly showed some attendees tipping the scantily-clad dancers mouth-to-mouth. As a result, two LDP lower house legislators have resigned from their party positions.

Japanese opinion polls show that the public isn't happy with the LDP's performance. A Jiji Press survey in January revealed support for the ruling party had fallen to just 14.6%, the lowest score since the group began canvassing in the 1960s (excluding years when the LDP was not in power). [...] Stephen Nagy, visiting fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, says that following the most recent scandals, there will likely be "further tightening of the belt" and "disciplinary action" across the LDP, as well as a wider campaign to win back public approval. The hotel-dancers incident only reaffirms the perception, Nagy says, "that these politicians are out of touch with the ordinary Japanese people's needs." But Nagy warns that such self-imposed reform measures aren't likely going to be enough to "save" Kishida, whose Cabinet's public approval hit its lowest point in February at 16.9%, per Jiji Press.

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But guess who's going to be re-elected next time?

thomas said:

organized a hotel event for the party's Youth Division in November

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I bet the LDP "youth" are 40+

I'm blown away that such an unpopular party can manage to hold on to power, but people in glass houses have no business playing baseball

What a disgrace. The scantily-clad dancer's scandal makes a lot of waves in Japanese media. PM Kishida has slammed a gathering of ruling party members that "exposure" and the mouth-to-mouth exchange of bills:

The event, which took place last November, featured scantily-clad dancers; leaked footage revealed women in swimwear sitting on participants' laps, which was deemed "highly inappropriate and most regrettable" by Mr Kishida when questioned by lawmakers. The women involved are reportedly part of the Glamor Dancers troupe, based in Osaka and Kyoto. According to local media reports, they were asked to use their mouths to receive banknotes hanging from participants' mouths. The event was attended by members of the LDP's youth division in the western city of Wakayama.

One of the organizers, Kawabata Tetsuya, had earlier defended the event by claiming that the presence of the "go-go dancers" was intended to ensure "diversity."

The LDP's nationwide youth wing had earlier apologised and said two other MPs who attended the event would step down from their posts in the division. On Wednesday, Mr Kishida said the event did not "match the cabinet's goal of diversity". "What my cabinet seeks is an inclusive society where all people feel the meaning of life with their dignity and diversity respected," local media reports quoted him as saying. He added that the event was funded by the participants' membership fees, not taxpayers' money.

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This reminds me. Is there any place that still serves no-pants shabu-shabu? Asking for a friend.

Sounds like a 1990s thing!

thomas said:

Sounds like a 1990s thing!

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I found a more recent incarnation but not exactly what I had in mind.

Approval rate under 20% and yet the LDP still holds on to power. That says a lot about the state of democracy in Japan. I'm not going to say that it's as bad as Putin's sham election, mostly because there is no strong man in Japanese politics. But as a representation of the kind of government that the people want, it's not that far away.

Maciamo said:

Approval rate under 20% and yet the LDP still holds on to power. That says a lot about the state of democracy in Japan. I'm not going to say that it's as bad as Putin's sham election, mostly because there is no strong man in Japanese politics. But as a representation of the kind of government that the people want, it's not that far away.

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My worry is that Japan's situation - inept and disliked politicians and decreasing standards of living for most people - make the country ripe to be exploited by a 'strong man'. We've seen in plenty of countries how gullible people are when it comes to populist politicians that exploit people's anger and promise to provide simple solutions to complex problems. For the moment, I'm grateful that the bumbling but moderate Kishida is in power.

Lothor said:

My worry is that Japan's situation - inept and disliked politicians and decreasing standards of living for most people - make the country ripe to be exploited by a 'strong man'. We've seen in plenty of countries how gullible people are when it comes to populist politicians that exploit people's anger and promise to provide simple solutions to complex problems. For the moment, I'm grateful that the bumbling but moderate Kishida is in power.

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The Japanese electorate might have a short memory when it comes to the ruling party's exploits (Olympic bribery, Sakura Party, Unification Church, Kickback scandal, Wakayama go-go party, etc. etc.). Still, I don't think they are gullible. Japan's "most populist" PM so far, Mr Abe, faced much resistance when he tried to tinker with the Japanese Constitution. The strife for harmony and consensus is deeply rooted in Japanese society, and any radical populist solutions would be confronted with scepticism. Or so I hope.