Japan

It seems that you cannot pick up a newspaper today without reading about the dire consequences of climate change. The urgent need to address the way we live, eat and work is the central theme to today's question. With a particular focus on the role of politicians in the struggle against climate change, this question asks whether the highest authorities have the power to influence national policies.

Kazuhiro Soda's film, Campaign, The Kawasaki Candidate! is the film behind the question which investigates party politics and election campaigns in Japan.

After a series of scandals, decreasing public approval and less than one year as Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe announced his resignation from the post today. Another reason for his         resignation is the lack of oppositional support for an extension of Japanese military assistance in Iraq. Read more about the situation in The Japan Times, on BBC News online, the International Herald Tribune and Al Jazeera.

Join the global debate in our forums: Why bother to vote?

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe put his position at stake on Sunday, when he announced his resignation if Japan will not extend its military assistance in Afghanistan. Japan currently discusses the option of extending Japan's support of the US-led mission in Afghanistan, which requires an re-enactment of a bill to do so. If not, the Japan's military assistance will expire in November. The new bill is not in favor of the opposition, the Democratic Party of Japan, who argues, that Japan should only engage in UN peacekeeping missions. Some experts also claim the military assistance is unconstitutional. A poll published on Tuesday also revealed, that the Japanese population is split over this matter, as the International Herald Tribune reports today.

Read more about the situation on BBC News online. Join the debate in our forums: What is wrong with democracy? and learn more about the political circus in Japan with our documentary Campaign! The Kawasaki Candidate!