By Neil Martin

The outcome of the Japanese general election marked a sharp turn to the right in Japanese politics.

The poll delivered an overwhelming victory for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior ally the Komitei, following the failure of the Democratic Party (DPJ) to take steps to revive the economy.

By Jane West

The recent visits by the leader of the opposition and two members of the Japanese cabinet to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine in Tokyo solidifies a lurch to the nationalist right in Japanese politics.