FOCUS: Japan's left-leaning parties face crossroads as postwar narrative fades

TOKYO - Japan's left-leaning opposition parties are at a crossroads 81 years after World War II, struggling to turn the tide as anti-war, anti-nuclear messaging alone becomes less resonant with voters amid geopolitical risks and economic hardships.

The parties have failed to counter the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, emboldened by its sweeping general election win six months ago, as it has pursued a conservative agenda ranging from eased rules on the export of defense equipment to a national flag desecration law and cementing a male-only imperial succession through a legal revision.