Will Fee from South China Morning Post:
Tactical voting, unity and impassioned pleas from some of the nation’s biggest celebrities helped a left-wing coalition score a surprise win over the far-right in France’s legislative election on July 7. The result is widely being hailed as a victory for French democracy, and a display of unity in the face of creeping extremism.
Nearly 10,000km away in Tokyo, there is no such enthusiasm. The same day, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike secured a third term at the helm of the world’s largest metropolis by population. Instead of the tactical voting seen in France, there was voter apathy in Tokyo.
Credit to the French people for actually deciding to participate in the democratic process. Voting apathy in Japan is far from a new phenomenon and the lack of engagement from the populous just keeps the same faces and parties in power. Perhaps that is the secret plan of the electorate but I'm willing to bet that something more deep-seated is to blame for a lack of interest in government.
Tsuneo Watanabe from Nippon.com:
Like in many other countries, Japanese debates over the best response to Donald Trump’s potential return to the American presidency have gained momentum of late. In fact, the phrase moshitora—shorthand for “What if it’s Trump?”—has become a regular part of the Japanese political lexicon. Below I share some reflections on what a Trump 2.0 administration could mean for the US-Japan relationship.
Not entirely sure I fully agree with this take but as long as the government follows the Abe playbook, they should be in good standing with any future American ruler.