Tokyo Insideline: Previewing Japan's Upper House Elections

As the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pushes to retain its coalition government in the face of a series of scandals and a low public opinion rating, the Upper House election scheduled for July 29 proves to be a crucial test for the Abe administration. While the ruling camp has hastened to formulate a concrete plan to restore public faith in its agenda, opposition parties have intensified their attacks in the Diet session scheduled to adjourn on July 5. Michael Green and Takao Toshikawa shared their thoughts on the key themes of this important election and its potential impact on the political landscape in Japan.

Takao Toshikawa is chief correspondent for The Oriental Economist Report with responsibility for coverage of Japanese politics. He is also founder and editor-in-chief of Tokyo Insideline, a bi-weekly publication established in 1993 primarily for Japan's intelligence community. Mr. Toshikawa is a well-known figure in journalist and policy-making circles in Japan, through his reporting, book writing, and regular television appearances. He has authored many books, including Kasumigaseki; The Secret of the MOF's Power; Japan-US Power Line; Secrecy Fund of MOFA; Risk Management in Japan, and Power Game in Nagata-cho. He is a contributing writer for the Daily Mainichi, the Evening Fuji, and Weekly Toyo Keizai. He is also a regular commentator for TV Asahi. Mr. Toshikawa began his work as a journalist in 1970 as a staff writer for The Weekly Post, one of Japan's largest circulation magazines. He became a senior writer in 1976. Mr. Toshikawa was often dispatched to the United States to cover American politics. Mr. Toshikawa is also a regular member of the Foreign Correspondent Club of Japan (FCCJ) and the Nihon Kisha (Japan Press) Club. Mr. Toshikawa studied English literature at Sophia University.