July 2009 to July 2010 - Religion and Politics in Contemporary Japan - page 177

system was prominent, the main issue was still the economy how would

each party respond to social security and unemployment? The LDP and
Komeito emphasised economic growth as the main solution, while Minshut -
and the SDP emphasised securing stability of people

-

s lives (seikatsu antei)
through creating a better social security system and easing taxes.
As election day neared, policy di

'

erences on national security and foreign
diplomacy narrowed. For instance, two days after the dissolution of the Diet,
Minshut - changed course on issues on which it had consistently opposed the
LDP-led government. Minshut - had spent considerable time in the Diet
insisting on the withdrawal of the Maritime Self-Defence Forces (MSDF) and
an end to their refuelling mission in the Indian Ocean that assisted the US-led
war in Afghanistan. It then announced that it would not withdraw the
MSDF, at least not immediately, only to re-announce a few days later that it
would yet again be withdrawing troops when the term expired in January
2010. This change of mind came in the wake of criticism from its future
coalition partner, the SDP. The actual withdrawal of the MSDF took place in
January 2010, seemingly more as a move to appease the SDP than any clear
stance of Minshut - . Minshut - also backed down on its previous position
concerning the Forces of Status Agreement (SOFA) that Japan has with the
USA concerning the US military presence in Japan. Furthermore, it now
called for the implementation of the inspection of cargo ships under economic
sanctions against North Korea called for by a UN Security Council resolution,
something it had previously forced the government to abandon. It also took a
more conciliatory stance towards Russia, insisting on an early and gradual
return of the Northern Territories, a position it had opposed the government from
taking not very long ago. Such issues, hotly debated by the opposition parties
previously, now must have begun to look di

erent in the face of possibly
taking power. Meanwhile, Minshut - also pushed up plans for redistributing
subsidies to farm households, to supplement incomes to farmers whose sub-
sidies had been cut under the Koizumi reforms. This issue had helped Minshut -
to win the support of farmers in the 2007 Upper House election, as these
groups switched their previous support for the LDP to Minshut - .
The Yomiuri Shinbun, a long-term supporter of the LDP, expectedly com-
mented on Minshut - s changing policies in a more negative light, while Asahi

Shinbun, supporter of Minshut - , referred to this positively as

'

Minshut - '

comes of age on policy issues s dis-

enchantment with the LDP was so severe, however, that such quick foreign
policy change made for little critical debate. Moreover, as the possibility of a
DPJ-SDP-PNP coalition became clearer, little focus was on the possible
repeat of what happened to the only non-LDP government of 1993

' (Asahi Shinbun, 24/07/2009). The media '

94, or to
the fate of Shinshint - after that. Just as then, standing on a shaky mandate to
oust the LDP that included political persuasions in both directions, Min-
shut - , a party without a coherent political philosophy or political agenda,
was set to come up against these contradictions in the near future. The
diversity of opinions in a party that was made up of an already assorted

-