As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe steers the nation away from pacifism, the coming Upper House election is a chance to voice opposition to this new course, according to Kazuo Shii, who heads the Japanese Communist Party.

Japan is on the brink of becoming a ¡°lawless, autocratic country¡± under Abe, who is pushing for aggressive security laws, nuclear power and other controversial policies, Shii said in an interview with media outlets last week.

¡°He has become uncontrollable, he¡¯s ignored the people¡¯s voices¡± over his past 3? years in power, Shii said. ¡°And now, all of these policies are falling apart. We need a change in all of these areas.¡±