Between the elections

An appeal to my readers

Tokyo looking across the Imperial Palace towards the National Diet. Photo by author.

As we enter this brief interlude between the frenzied LDP leadership election and the frantic general election campaign, I want to take a moment to thank you all for your support and your readership, whether you are a free subscriber or a paying subscriber. I am heartened by the response to the work I have produced here.

I also want to ask that if you are a free subscriber and if you have enjoyed my writing, that you consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Your support will make it possible for me to continue producing analysis here and will enable you to read subscribers-only posts and join the next subscribers conference call, which I plan on convening before the general election. Paying subscribers will also get access to district-level analysis of the general election in the coming weeks.

I would also like to remind you that you can earn rewards for referring Observing Japan to your friends.

I have several different options for subscriptions. If you are a member of an organization — embassies, universities, etc. — that would be interested in a group subscription, a generous group rate is available. You can also reach out to me directly to discuss group subscriptions.

Meanwhile, students with a valid institutional email address also are entitled to a 50% discount.

Finally, if you are a financial professional, I am publishing timely, forward-looking analysis of the politics and policies of the new Ishiba government at Japan Foresight LLC, featuring research notes with a more political economy focus. For more information on Japan Foresight’s services, to see sample offerings, or to start a trial subscription, please visit Japan Foresight or click the button below to contact me directly.

Thank you again for your support. I don’t think I need to tell the readers of this newsletter that this is truly an extraordinary moment in Japanese politics, and I feel privileged for the opportunity to share my thoughts about it with you.