Koizumi’s triumph will also accelerate the extension of an anti-working-class course abroad by Tokyo—a staunch ally of Washington in its “global war on terrorism.” The Japanese rulers are boosting their navy and “missile defense” to confront China and north Korea.

The LDP won 296 seats in the 480-seat lower house of parliament. With the allied Komeito party, the LDP now controls the two-thirds majority it needs to override decisions in the upper house.

The big-business press welcomed Koizumi’s victory as an opportunity to advance attacks on social programs. “The biggest issue that needs to be tackled for the time being is reform of pensions and other social reform systems,” said Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest daily. The Japanese rulers are also pushing for more use of temporary workers and removing restrictions on layoffs.

Koizumi has already called a special session of parliament September 21 to push for privatizing the post office, which Japanese also use as a bank. His plan is to begin in 2007 and be completed by 2017. With assets of $3 trillion, the post office is the largest financial institution in the world and the main source of savings accounts, credit, and insurance for the population.

Attacks on the working class at home will be extended abroad. As an editorial in the September 13 Wall Street Journal put it, “Mr. Koizumi says he wants Japan to become a ‘normal country,’ economically, militarily, culturally, and in foreign policy.” This includes accelerating the end of restrictions—imposed after Tokyo’s defeat in World War II—on using Japanese armed forces abroad.

In 2003 Koizumi steered Tokyo into Washington’s “coalition of the willing,” sending hundreds of troops to Iraq. In February top officials of the two governments issued a statement that stressed “advancing U.S.-Japan cooperative research” in ballistic missile defense systems, which would give Washington first-strike nuclear capability in the region and bring Tokyo more firmly under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Tokyo has also played a major role in the six-party talks Washington initiated in 2003 to pressure the north Korean government to abandon its nuclear energy program. Most recently tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have heightened over control of gas fields in the East China Sea. In July, Tokyo gave approval for the first time to a Japanese company, Teikoku Oil, to explore the fields, which China began drilling in 2003. Japanese officials said September 9 that five Chinese warships were near the gas fields. “The ships were seen just on China’s side of what Japan considers the dividing line in the sea,” which “China does not recognize,” reported Agence France-Presse.  
 
 
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