Following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s abrupt decision to resign, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will be choosing its next leader on September 14th, determining who will become the new prime minister of Japan. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has emerged as the front-runner in the LDP leadership race. Since the new LDP president will serve out the remainder of Prime Minister Abe's term, there will be another party election next September. What does Prime Minister Suga need to do to position himself to win a regular three year term as party leader 12 months from now? When is he likely to call for a lower house election? What specific policies are likely to be at the top of his agenda? How will Japan's politics evolve in the post-Abe era? In this webinar, two leading experts offer their insights into the current landscape of Japanese politics, the prospects for domestic and foreign policy under the new administration, and implications for U.S.-Japan relations.

Speakers:
Gerald Curtis, Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University; Chairman, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation; Core Faculty, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School; Distinguished Research Fellow, Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research; Member of the Board of Directors, Japan Society
Heizo Takenaka, Professor Emeritus, Keio University; Professor, Toyo University; Member of the Policy Council under the Abe administration; former Minister of State for Internal Affairs and Communication and for Economic and Fiscal Policy in the Koizumi administration
https://www.japansociety.org/event/whither-the-suga-administrationa-conversation-with-gerald-curtis-takenaka-heizo