By winning party polls, Abe raises both hope and fear

He has long sought to revise Japan's pacifist Constitution ignoring the strong domestic and international opposition. And now that he has been re-elected leader of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which paves the way for him to serve as Japan's prime minister for another three years, he may try to push forward what critics call Japan's "remilitarization" plan.

There is reason for such fears, because Shinzo Abe has already pushed through controversial legislation that gives Japan Self Defense Forces the right to "collective self-defense", or defend/support allies in combat overseas.

Of course, Abe's claim that he would try to keep the constitutional clause that prevents Japan from waging an offensive war may somewhat help ease the regional countries' fears that Japan may embark on the road to militarism again.