The End of the Postwar Regime in Japan?

Prominent Japanese conservative Shintaro Ishihara on Nov. 17 merged his Sunrise Party with the Japan Restoration Party, which is led by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, Daily Yomiuri has reported. Regional-minded politicians known for their brash, nationalistic rhetoric, Ishihara and Hashimoto aligned in a bid to challenge the established parties in the lower house election scheduled for Dec. 16. The merger comes as support for the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda plummets and as regionalists from national-level parties expand their presence on the national stage.

Though it is undoubtedly a significant event in the development of a third pole in Japanese domestic politics, the merger is part of a broader trend: the growing clout of popular nationalists bent on reform. While similar social momentum has existed in various forms throughout Japan's history, its recent surge could ultimately lead to postwar Japan's metamorphosis into a more assertive regional power — a development sure to have far-reaching geopolitical consequences.