The genesis of the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), or Chudo, a party born out of the merger of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito, has drawn attention to a word often relegated to the edges of Japan¡¯s political debate: center.
As the Liberal Democratic Party takes a turn to the right under the leadership of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the upcoming Lower House election looks poised to become a contest between a conservative force represented by the incumbent ruling government and a centrist camp.
However, a deeper look at the election¡¯s protagonists and their policy proposals shows things are a bit more nuanced ¡ª and confusing.
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