I wrote briefly about the new Japanese Prime Minister Abe earlier. Now comes the report of some intra-party discussions that may serve as an indicator of things to come in the Japanese government:

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe altered his choices for the Cabinet and ruling party executive lineup after calls for unity by a politician whose own administration was one of the most unpopular in Japan’s postwar history.

Sources said Abe held several discussions with his political mentor, former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, to bounce off his ideas for personnel picks. [Snip]

“Many difficult issues have been left over for the extraordinary Diet session, and the Upper House election next year will also be a difficult one,” Mori was quoted as telling Abe. “You should make efforts to gain the cooperation of as many people as possible. Once the Upper House election is over, you can do as you please.”

The outgoing Prime Minister Koizumi was a bold reformer, whose policies were often very divisive even within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

It appears PM Abe will follow a more conventional LDP governing strategy of “party unity first, whatever else later.” As I wrote earlier, “Abe seems to be cut more from the traditional Asian conservative mold.”

It is telling, of course, that PM Abe’s mentor is the former PM Mori:

On meeting President Bill Clinton, he asked Clinton “Who are you?”, with the intention of saying “How are you?”. Since Clinton thought it was a joke, “I’m Hillary’s husband, and you?” Clinton answered to him in English. And then, Yoshiro Mori answered “Me, too”.

At a meeting of Shinto leaders in Tokyo, Mori described Japan as “a nation of gods with the Emperor at its center.” This “divine nation statement” stirred up great controversy in Japan.

In fact, Mori was scandal-ridden, and…

Mori was not particularly popular at any time during his term: toward the end of his term, his approval rating dropped to single digits. In fact, the people of Ishikawa, his home prefecture, referred to him as “the shame of Ishikawa” (石川の恥), partly because even though he was prime minister, he was unable to get the planned extension of the Shinkansen to run as far as Ishikawa. He was replaced by Junichiro Koizumi on April 26, 2001.

Call it the Return of the Gray Suits.

And how does someone like this ever get into politics, let alone power:

Yoshiro Mori was born in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, as the son of Shigeki and Kaoru Mori, wealthy rice farmers with a history in politics, as both his father and grandfather served as the mayor of Neagari, Ishikawa Prefecture.

It doesn’t get any more traditional LDP than “wealthy rice farmer,” folks.

If Mori is calling the shots behind the scene, expect forward to the past for Japan’s governance.