For many Japanese voters, Abe's leadership represents stability after years of short-lived governments before he returned to the prime minister’s office in 2012. This, plus the relative good health of the economy, led Daniel Sneider of Stanford University to call the vote a “Seinfeld election” — or an election about nothing. “He uses the North Korea issue as his strategy just to win this election,” said Koizumi, who voted for the Constitutional Democratic Party. “I don't particularly support Abe, but I do support” the LDP, said Hiroki Shinohara, a 54-year-old wholesaler at Tsukiji fish market. “I feel it’s doing what’s right for Japan, and Japan needs it.”Yuki Oda contributed to this report.

Source: Washington Post October 22, 2017 05:03 UTC