Abe Loses Momentum
A political scandal threatens his hold on Japanese politics.
Shinzo Abe has gone from invincible to vulnerable in a mere six weeks. Earlier this year the Japanese Prime Minister enjoyed an approval rating of 66% in a Yomiuri poll and faced no credible challenges from the opposition or within his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Now a scandal involving his ties to Japan’s ultranationalist fringe has hurt Mr. Abe’s popularity and unsettled markets.
Yasunori Kagoike is a member of the Japan Conference, a nationalist group to which Mr. Abe and more than half of his cabinet belong. Mr....