J

apan is back!'€ Associated Press writer Elaine Kurtenbach quoted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as declaring two years ago, after he was elected.

Today, Japan certainly is back - back to the condition it was in two years ago. The Abe magic has not worked.

There is little hope that Japan will be able to restore its economic power as long as it remains unable to address fundamental problems, including its relations with neighboring countries and rigid immigration rules.

Abe announced on Tuesday that he would hold an early election next month in an effort to win a strong mandate from the people amid growing confidence in his ability to revive the country'€™s stalled economy.

When he returned to power following his Liberal Democratic Party'€™s (LDP) landslide victory in December 2012, many doubted Abe had the stamina and energy to lead Japan in ending an almost two-decade economic slump.

He had resigned as prime minister in September 2007, less than a year after he came to power, because of health reasons.

Will Abe be able to change the situation after winning more support from his people?

We believe that Japan'€™s relations with its neighbors, especially China and South Korea, are crucial to its revival. Chinese President Xi Jinping humiliated the Prime Minister when they held brief bilateral talks on the sidelines of the recent APEC Summit in Beijing. The stony faced Xi shook hands with Abe and talked little during their encounter, letting his guest dominate their conversation.

Japan'€™s relations with China are complex. Japan'€™s military brutalities in the past, its refusal to accept historical facts and its inability to reconcile with the past are among factors that will continue to haunt the two countries.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye was also very reluctant to have a bilateral summit with Abe for similar reasons.

Trade relations with China and South Korea are often hampered by sensitive political issues.

 Japan is also very reluctant to open its doors to much-needed foreign migrants, despite the country'€™s decreasing population.

It is not able to recruit the best brains from outside its borders because of rigid requirements that mean only a few foreigners can meet their criteria.

Japan is crucial to Asia, but as long as it cannot come to terms with past behavior and as long as it rejects useful migrants, the country will never move forward.