Can Japan Ever Emerge from Stagnation? By Andrew L. Jaffee, November 13, 2003 Home Search Forum Terms Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), lost seats in parliamentary elections held last weekend. Elected in 2001 on a pro-economic reform platform, Koizumi has been slow to deliver. Some fear the LDP's election losses will mean even slower reforms. Remember "Japan, Inc.", the envy of American corporate bosses? Remember when many Americans were afraid that prime property in U.S. downtowns and golf courses would all be bought by Japanese? That was then (1970 - 1990), when Japanese corporations seemed unstoppable...