Japan heads to the polls on Sunday for one of the most uncertain elections in its recent history, where low turnout is expected to be a key factor despite the result having considerable ramifications for both the country’s future and its international standing.
Normally a beacon of stability in a region of turbulent geopolitics, Japan has been ruled by the same centre-right Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for 65 of the past 69 years. Its prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, won his party’s leadership last month and called the snap election to try to shore up his mandate from the public and quell divisions within his own ranks.
