Junichiro Koizumi’s landslide re-election this September as president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has raised hopes of a fundamental change in the character and practice of Japanese political leadership.
In place of a long tradition of unwieldy, consensus decision-making and deference to powerful party factions and special interests, Koizumi favours a more decisive and independent style. This was much in evidence in the recent campaign.
