The election for the Upper House of our Parliament is approaching.
The press today wrote that it is almost certain that the ruling Jimin-Party will have a miserable outcome.
As Japanese prime minister gets elected in the Lower House, the Upper House's election is not a fatal one for the government. Every three years a half of the Upper House's members get reelected: a sort of mid-term election in the US.
However, back in 1998, when Jimin-Party had a land-slide defeat in the Upper House election, the then prime minister Mr.Ryutaro Hashimoto opted for a resignation, establishing a precedent for Mr.Abe this time.

But why has Mr.Abe become so unpopular? Is it not he who got picked up as prime minister one year ago under almost unanimous support by the society? Many Japanese hoped too much from him and then got dissapointed; typical outcome of populism.

There is something unnatural in this. And there is no way out of this quagmire. The opposition parties are not real alternatives of the Jimin-Party, and no matter who becomes prime minister, it will not make a real difference. Japan is at a stalemate, politically speaking, but it has not affected the economy. Probably only the diplomacy will suffer due to lack of a strong leadership.