Politics brings out the cynical in all of us, but every once in a while, when a particularly incompetent or malicious regime gets its head handed to it by the voters, you understand that the practice of politics can be a worthwhile calling. It is gratifying to see that yesterday, Japan's voters handed that country's ruling parties — the nationalistic and increasingly militaristic Liberal Democratic Party as well as its creepy quasi-religious partner, New Komeito (backed by Sokkai Gakkai) — the drubbing they both deserve. They lost their majority in the upper house, and Japan once again takes a tentative step toward real democracy — as opposed to the one-party rule that has been passing as democracy for most of the postwar era.

Here's Kuhaku contributor Takehiko Kambayashi in today's Christian Science Monitor on the teetering Shinzo Abe regime. All we need is one more good push...