TOKYO: Japan’s new premier has yet to spell out clear plans for his stewardship of the world’s second-largest economy but shopkeeper Mineo Hayakawa, like many of the elderly, is not getting his hopes up.

Shinzo Abe, who on Tuesday succeeded outgoing Junichiro Koizumi, has spoken in general terms about the need to reduce wealth inequalities but he is known more for talking tough on North Korea than for his economic strategy.

He penned a pre-campaign book entitled “To A Beautiful Country”, outlining his philosophy of unabashed conservatism, but many of Japan’s disadvantaged appear not to share his vision of a better life ahead.

“I can’t and I’m not expecting anything from Abe since he’s going to continue what Koizumi started and my life has only worsened” since Koizumi took office, said Hayakawa, 82.

“Even if Japan’s economy is growing, the poor and the average Japanese won’t feel its effects,” he lamented in his dingy shop of used suits and shirts in a run-down area of eastern Tokyo, lit only by a television blaring out a re-run of a samurai show.

Japan is on course for its longest post-war recovery and unemployment is near an eight-year low but critics say the reform-minded Koizumi’s belt-tightening has also increased the gap between rich and poor.

Abe, a 52-year-old third-generation politician, has spoken of the need to create a society where second chances are allowed but, like much of his policy platform, he has been decidedly vague about how he plans to achieve that.

His proposals for reducing wealth disparity have revolved around motivating people to “re-challenge” themselves and providing a “safety net” for the needy.

“We need to change from a society with a single track to a society with many tracks so that people don’t despair if they fail on one track,” he said on a recent talkshow.

Japan has prided itself since the end of World War II on being a classless society and social inequalities are still less pronounced than in many other countries.

While the number of wealthy has stayed stable, Japanese earning less than one million yen (8,595 dollars) a year jumped 9.6 per cent to 3.4 million people in the three years after Koizumi took office in 2001, according to the state tax agency.

“Under Abe, the income gap situation will worsen as the poor will become poorer and the rich richer,” said Naohiko Jinno, professor of economics at the Tokyo University.

“He is being contradictory in his idea of cutting public expenditure while investing in ‘re-challenge’ projects for workers,” said Jinno.

“If Abe really wants people to re-challenge themselves, he should invest in projects that will increase their skills so that they can re-enter the workforce as stable employees. And that of course costs money,” he added.

Abe, who says he supports reforms, takes on huge challenges in tackling Japan’s debt mountain while finding resources to support the country’s greying population even as the birth rate falls.

Among Japanese who perceive a growing wealth disparity, polls show many blame Koizumi although he remains popular overall, particularly in cities.

Even in the wealthy capital, some appear pessimistic that their lot will improve under Abe.

Sitting in his shop, where old men sit outside sipping beer by the side of the road in the midday sun, Hayakawa recounts how in a good week he can earn up to 50,000 yen (430 dollars) which he shares with his wife.

But those good weeks are only sporadic, he says. Five years ago, his income was at least double that and he has fallen behind on paying his medical fees.

“Nothing will change, nothing will change for us,” he predicted wearily.—AFP