IN-EAST News
09.12.2014 - 00:00
50 Years of Komeito – Axel Klein on the Anniversary of a Political Party with Buddhist History
The Japanese political party Komeito is celebrating its 50st anniversary this year. Members of the Nichiren Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai founded the party in 1964. However, Komeito’s religious image has faded, said Axel Klein and Steven Reed in an interview they gave the Japan Times in Tokyo on the occasion of the presentation of their new book Komeito — Politics and Religion in Japan.
“I think in the next election, we will probably not hear any party saying ‘that’s a religious party,’ which is clearly so much different from five or ten years ago, when there was a major story line that Komeito is a religious party and that’s why it’s unconstitutional,” Klein said in the interview with Editor Mizuho Aoki. Read the full article here: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/11/20/national/politics-diplomacy/komeitos-50-years-of-losing-its-religion/#.Wdc6lWi0OUl
More Information
Japan Times: “Komeito’s 50 years of losing its religion”, November 20, 2014. Interview with Editor Mizuho Aoki. Read the full article here: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/11/20/national/politics-diplomacy/komeitos-50-years-of-losing-its-religion/#.Wdc6qGi0OUl
Wilson Center: "The Power of Japan's Religious Party", December 5, 2014. By Levi McLaughlin, Axel Klein, and Steven R. Reed. Read the full article here: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/the-power-japan%25E2%2580%2599s-religious-party?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRovs6rLZKXonjHpfsX56%252B0oULHr08Yy0EZ5VunJEUWy2YEHS8p0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEKS7nYUbZ1t6MJWA%253D%253D
Japanmarkt Online: “Buddhisten-Partei Komeito als Zünglein an der Waage”, December 8, 2014. Read the full article here: https://japanmarkt.de/2014/12/08/panorama/gesellschaft/buddhisten-partei-komeito-als-zuenglein-der-waage/
Bloomberg.com: "Abe to Extend LDP Dominance Sown During U.S. Occupation", December 11, 2014. By David Tweed. Read the full article here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-10/abe-poised-to-extend-ldp-dominance-sown-during-u-s-occupation
Süddeutsche Zeitung: "Buddhistisch und machtbewusst", December 16, 2014. Print article.
For more information on the presentation of the book Komeito — Politics and Religion in Japan please visit:
http://www.uni-due.de/in-east/50/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=409&cHash=19f237c2d5fd34d44a28c35d8b6e76a5