Recent elections in Japan have been dramatic, and the 2021 general election was no exception. Worldwide turmoil caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as domestic uncertainty following the resignation of long-serving Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Prime Minister Abe Shinz, left many voters and political observers wondering whether his successors were up to the task of leading the country through the crisis. In the end, the LDP and coalition partner Kmeit eked out an electoral victorybut one that masks important changes in the party system and nuanced changes in voter behavior and preferences. This fourth volume in the Japan Decides series features a comprehensive collection of analyses from leading experts, covering the legacy of Abes tenure in office, the state of the LDP and other parties, the impact of COVID-19 and the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and many other important topics in contemporary party politics and domestic and foreignpolicy.

Robert J. Pekkanen is Professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, Adjunct Professor of Political Science, and Adjunct Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington, USA.

Steven R. Reed is Professor Emeritus, retired from Chuo University, Japan.

Daniel M. Smith is the Gerald L. Curtis Visiting Associate Professor of Modern Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy in the Department of Political Science and School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, USA.

1. Introduction.- 2. Japanese Politics 2017 to 2021.- 3. The 2021 Election Results: Continuity and Change.- 4. How the Liberal Democratic Party Avoided a Loss in 2021.- 5. The Opposition in 2021: A Second Party and a Third Force.- 6. Kmeit in 2021: Strategizing between the LDP and Ska Gakkai.- 7. Abe's legacy.- 8. Candidate Selection for the 2021 General Election.- 9. Generational Change or Continuity in Japans Leadership?.- 10. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Party Switching in Japan.- 11. Ministerial Selection under Abe, Suga, and Kishida.- 12. Public opinion and COVID-19.- 13. Social media in the 2021 Election Campaign.- 14. Are the Kids Alright? Young People and Turnout in Japan.- 15. Did COVID-19 Impact Japans 2021 General Election?.- 16. Japans Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.- 17. Economic Policy Trilemma: Macroeconomic Politics in the 2021 Election.- 18. Does Income Inequality Matter in Japan?.- 19. Womens representation and the gendered impact of COVID-19 in Japan.-20. Black Lives Matter in Japan: The Specter of Race and Racism Haunting Japan.- 21. Constitutional Revision in the 2021 Election.- 22. Covid-19: The International Dimension.- 23. Foreign Policy and Defense Issues in Japans 2021 Election.- 24. China in Japans 2021 Elections.- 25. The Olympics in the 2021 Election.- 26. Conclusion: The 2021 Japanese Election in the Shadow of the Coronavirus Pandemic.