Japan Lower House election - Dec 14, 2014

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Interesting that "No Party" has frequently been the plurality winner in the polls, although as you say the opposition is basically non-existent.

That's the case in many Japanese elections. Technically the question that gets asked in polling is about 'approval' of the various parties, not voting intentions per se.

I'd be willing to bet that Abe will lose his supermajority, although losing government is not going to happen.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Just curious, who do you support Jachind? Your Party?

Your Party recently ceased to exist.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I have no idea who I'm supporting. IF the SDP was in any way viable I'd support them; if Kōmeitō had any operational independence from the LDP, possibly them, even though I'm obviously not Nichiren Buddhist.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The only thing I'd add to that is that the PFG is even more despicable and fascist than either the JRP or the JIP. Otherwise, excellent overview so far.

Sōka Gakkai isn't a cult, but its leadership structure and worship style do tend to look troubling to outside observers. It's of roughly the same order as the Latter-Day Saints: Certainly not Scientology, but not Lutheranism either. It's technically an offshoot of Mahayana Buddhism's absolutely delightful Nichiren school, named after its to this day infamously codgerly grump of a Kamakura-period founder and best known for its almost Southern Baptist insistence on the complete sufficiency and infallibility of the text of the Lotus Sutra, its promiscuous incorporation of the spiritual practices of other Lotus Sutra-venerating schools, its disconcerting historical connections to a variety of different forms of Japanese nationalism from the relatively benign Edo-period kokugaku to the insanely godawful parafascism of the early Shōwa and beyond, and some sects' adherence to a comical preterist interpretation of Buddhist eschatology.

I still like it better than some forms of Zen.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Shintaro Ishihara and Yoshimi Watanabe both look to be defeated.
 

Yep, mentioned that earlier.  This seems to be the death of personality based parties.

Good.

Uhhh... Banri Kaieda just got knocked out in his district and proportional representation....

Haha, priceless.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Uhhh... Banri Kaieda just got knocked out in his district and proportional representation....

Haha, priceless.

Indeed. Yet the DPJ is still set to gain like 8 seats so far.

I'm seeing more than that, closer to fifteen.

Even though the ruling coalition is picking up a few seats in this election, I take some comfort in the fact that the source of that gain is Kōmeitō rather than the LDP. I'll take what I can get out of this situation.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Nishikawa Koya lost his constituency race,

Thank God.

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Crap.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Where is the JCP FPTP seat?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

News from the FPG front.  Ishihara Senior to retire from politics.

Ah.

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Classic. You really just cannot make this stuff up.