In his apology for the political funds scandal before a lower house ethics committee, Kishida curiously quoted a notable figure of the late Edo period.
The author sees 2024 as a rocky year for domestic politics but thinks Japan's foreign policymaking is unlikely to change in the current geopolitical climate.
A current Diet member's arrest in the slush fund scandal threatens to further erode public confidence in the political system and must be addressed promptly.
Kishida must regain the people's trust to steer Japan through a volatile geopolitical landscape marked by ongoing wars and escalating tensions in Asia.
While the facts behind the LDP scandal must be fully explained, the new Kishida Cabinet cannot delay completing the budget and tackling urgent national issues.
The PM should have ordered a thorough investigation into the LDP political funds scandal to restore public trust in his Cabinet. He instead sat on his...