Governing Japan

This fourth edition provides an in-depth, up-to-date, chronological analysis of Japan’s current political system and the contributions of its leaders. It emphasizes why Japan and its politics matters in a global society.

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• Ideal for college courses on Japanese or comparative politics as well as for those interested in Japanese war memory, constitutional revision, and Japan’s relationship with the US, China, and North and South Korea
  
• Investigates the divided aspects existing below the veneer of consensus in Japanese politics
  
• Explores conflicts between power-hungry political groups as well as fundamental differences regarding Japan’s constitution, the interpretation of Japanese actions in the Asia-Pacific War, and Japan’s place in today’s world
  
• Advocates a system that readily permits changes of party in power for the present system dominated by the Liberal Democratic Party
  
• Examines the extreme statements of high profile politicians to determine whether a "nationalist resurgence” in Japan is real or not
  
• Sheds light on the official incompetence and the spectacular rise of civil society following the Kobe earthquake
  
• Features numerous Japanese sources

General Editor’s Introduction ix

List of Tables x

Maps xii

Conventions xiv

Acknowledgements xv

1 Introduction: Why Japan and its Politics Matter 1

2 Historical Background: Japan’s Emergence as a Modern State and the Politics of War, 1853–1945 12

3 Social Background: How far Social Norms and Behaviour Influence Politics 28

4 Political Reconstruction and Development, 1945–1989 48

5 One Step Forward and One Step Back: Attempting Political Reform in the 1990s 76

6 New Politics for the New Millennium: The Koizumi Effect 101

7 Who Runs Japan? 135

8 Parliament and Parliamentary Elections: The Changing Character of Electioneering 156

9 The Politics of Party: The Liberal Democrats and their Rivals 179

10 Some Problems of the Constitution 202

11 Issues of Domestic Political Concern 224

12 Issues of Foreign Policy and Defence 246

13 Conclusions: The Analytical Challenge of Japanese Politics 265

Appendix 1: House of Representatives election results, 1946–1955 273

Appendix 2: House of Representatives election results, 1958–1972 275

Appendix 3: House of Representatives election results, 1976–1990 276

Appendix 4: House of Representatives election results, 1993–2005 278

Appendix 5: House of Councillors election results, 11 July 2004 280

Appendix 6: House of Councillors election results, 29 July 2007 281

Further Reading 282

Index 289

"The first three editions (1975, 1982 and 1999) have been essential reading for the last two generations of Japan scholars. The latest, published in 2008, is no exception. This is a masterful display of concise and informative writing and a joy to read." (Japanese Studies, December 2009)

"This clearly written and well-organized volume will continue to be of great service to students of Japanese politics." (Pacific Affairs, Autumn 2009)

"Devoid of jargon, this book is written clearly and crisply, and peppered with wit and wisdom. ... Refreshing and pleasing to hear the voice of an eminent British scholar on Japanese politics in a field dominated by American and Japanese academics." (Japanese Journal of Political Science, 2009)

"Arthur Stockwin ... is the leading British expert on Japanese politics. His analysis is succinct and he has managed to unravel most of the complexities of Japanese politics. There is much food for thought in this stimulating and informative book." (Japan Times)

J. A. A. Stockwin received a degree at Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1959 and a doctorate in International Relations from the Australian National University in Canberra in 1965. He taught in the Department of Political Science at the Australian National University until 1981; and was Nissan Professor of Modern Japanese Studies at the University of Oxford from 1982 to 2003. Stockwin remains active in researching and writing on the politics of Japan. Since the early 1990s, a burgeoning Chinese economy has overshadowed global interest in the island country of Japan. A recent resurgence of the Japanese economy on the world stage, however, has sparked renewed curiosity for the 'Land of the Rising Sun'.

The fourth edition of this well established and successful text provides an analysis of Japan’s current political system and the significant contributions of its leaders. It dispels the myth that Japanese politics is largely governed by consensus, revealing instead a fundamental difference of opinions when it comes to issues such as Japanese actions in the Asia-Pacific War or the country’s place in today’s world.

Taking a chronological approach, with emphasis on the post-1945 era, the text explores the expanding reach and role of the prime minister, as well as ways that government ministries are adopting a more streamlined and right-wing agenda. It examines a wide variety of topics –from the overly dominant role of the Liberal Democratic Party to the ever-growing tensions with China and North Korea. This up-to-date edition highlights the regime and aftermath of Prime Minister Koizumi, considers the impact of globalization on Japanese political economy, and concludes with an analytical lesson in Japanese politics.

"This is by far the most comprehensive, up-to-date and well-balanced introduction to contemporary Japanese government and politics that I know of. The book will be a boon especially to instructors and students in introductory university courses in Japanese and comparative politics." Haru Fukui, University of California, Santa Barbara

"This is an outstanding text on Japanese politics—informative, interesting, extremely well-written in a highly accessible style. The author displays, as ever, a complete mastery of his subject. This is essential reading for any student wishing to understand the changes and continuities in Japanese politics in recent years." Caroline Rose, University of Leeds