Abe Resigned

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned from office yesterday. His resignation was seen as inevitable when his party, the Liberal Democratic Party, lost in the Japanese Parliament's Upper House's election at the end of July. That lost gave the opposition Democratic Party of Japan in control of the Upper House for the first time in history.

What happened? Many commentators will look for answers. Basically, Abe didn't have any new idea. His slogan of building a "Beautiful Japan" was abstract and seemed to seek return to an old Japan. The average Japanese cared bread and butter economic issues. Shinzo Abe didn't have answers in the increasing integration of East Asia.