Tokyo Olympics: Don't Stop Me Now

Ballot to Talk About

This week's Olympic-themed episode focusses on the politics and parties of Japan, as the cauldron is lit to kickstart the controversial postponed 2020 Games in Tokyo. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s Liberal Democratic Party is suffering a backlash for giving the Games the green light, and the new prominent opposition party – the Constitutional Democratic Party – made gains in this month’s Tokyo prefectural elections ahead of an Autumn General Election.

As the Games gets underway, Sam and Chern take a look at why Japan has been dominated by one-party pretty much persistently since 1955 and assess why the various opposition parties have struggled to have a significant impact. Why have the Games been so unpopular in the last twelve months, and will Covid-19 cost Suga his premiership? Why has the prominent opposition party changed so frequently in the last few decades? Is a truly left-wing Government possible in Japan? All these questions, and more, answered in this week's podcast.

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