How political uncertainty could unravel Japan's progress so far

Abe's non-approval rates have risen to match his approval rates, and further political uncertainty will present a large hurdle to progress, says Genzo Kimura, economist at SuMi Trust.

There is an old saying in the eastern hemisphere: "A tiger is ahead and a wolf is beyond". This is fitting for the outlook in Japan; the tiger is the Upper House election next July and the wolf is the consumption tax hike scheduled for April 2017. The election will not be easy for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, after they forced the so-called Security Bill through the House in September. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's approval rating is almost equal to his non-approval rating, which now stands at 40%. Political uncertainty would present a large hurdle to the progress and success of po...