What's at stake in the Japan elections? | In Focus
b'Earlier this week, on Thursday, Japan\\u2019s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dissolved the lower house of Parliament, paving the way for general elections, which are scheduled for October 31.\\nJapanese politics has been dominated by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for much of its post-war history. Under Shinzo Abe, Japan\\u2019s longest serving Prime Minister who stepped down in September 2020, the LDP has moved further to the right. Abe\\u2019s successor, Yoshihide Suga, lasted just a year. His growing unpopularity meant that the party did not want to go to elections under his leadership. So he stepped down last month, making way for former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida to take over.\\nUnder Kishida, the LDP has built a sizeable lead in approval ratings, and the party is expected to win. But Kishida has some tough challenges facing him \\u2013 while COVID-19 has still not gone away, the economy has been battered by the pandemic, and the rich-poor divide has grown sharper.\\nIs it going to be an easy win for Kishida? And even if the LDP wins, will he enjoy a stable tenure? How will the new regime navigate the growing hostility between the US and China, given that China is one of Japan\\u2019s largest trading partners and a powerful neighbour as well?\\nAs the world\\u2019s third largest economy heads to the polling booth, we explore these questions in this episode.\\nGuest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor at The Hindu.\\nHost: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu'