Photo/Illutration From left: LDP President Sanae Takaichi, CDP President Yoshihiko Noda, Japan Innovation Party co-leader Hirofumi Yoshimura and DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The commedia dell’arte, regarded as one of the cornerstones of modern European theater, is a form of improvised comedy that originated in 16th-century Italy. It influenced playwrights across the continent, including William Shakespeare (1564-1616).

I once saw a performance in Milan of a famous work based on its traditions, “The Servant of Two Masters,” and was captivated by the actors’ acrobatic movements and their unrelenting stream of gags.

The central character, Arlecchino (Harlequin), wearing the iconic black half-mask, takes the form of the ever-hungry and quick-witted servant Truffaldino. Hoping to earn double meals and wages, he begins serving two masters at once without letting either know.

His secret arrangement soon turns chaotic. When both masters summon him at the same time, he groans, “Which one should I go to first?” Watching him rush back and forth, like a man walking a tightrope between two worlds, kept me on edge.

Now, let us turn to the political theater currently unfolding in Japan. Watching the flurry of negotiations and the whirlwind of maneuvering over the past week, one can’t help but glimpse the shadows of several Arlecchinos darting about the stage.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, under its newly elected president, Sanae Takaichi, lacks a majority in both Diet houses and is scrambling to find a new partner after parting ways with its long-standing coalition ally, Komeito. Meanwhile, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, despite its calls for a change of government, remains unable to rally the fragmented opposition camp.

In this landscape, the parties holding the casting vote in selecting Japan’s next prime minister are Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People, which hold 35 and 27 seats, respectively, in the Lower House.

Will it be an LDP-Ishin partnership, an LDP-DPP coalition or perhaps a broader alliance uniting the CDP, Ishin and the DPP? Senior party figures shuttle back and forth in a constant round of meetings and consultations, testing every possible combination.

Low, dark-toned grumbles and sharp notes of sarcasm can also be heard. As the LDP and Ishin draw closer, DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki laments, “At this point, I no longer know who is an ally and who is an enemy, or in what situation.”

In response to his charge that Ishin is engaging in “double-dealing,” Ishin leader Hirofumi Yoshimura fires back, “Rather than criticizing other parties, he might do better to focus on realizing his own party’s policies.”

In the play mentioned earlier, Arlecchino somehow managed to steer the chaos toward a happy denouement. The tangled chain of events now playing out on the stage of Japan’s political arena—set in motion by Komeito’s withdrawal from the ruling coalition—leaves us wondering where this drama will lead.

—The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 17

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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