CHAPTER 5
CLICKER: 2 POINTS
The Chief Executive in the Japanese Government since 1948 is
called:
A. Chancellor
B. Emperor
C. President
D. Prime Minister
E. Shogun
CLICKER: 2 POINTS
Most often in postwar Japan, the prime minister has lead a
government formed:
A.
By a coalition of 2 or more parties
B. By the same single party that held a majority in the diet most of
the time
C. One of four main parties whose relative power in the diet
alternates often with elections
D. By a compromise among the several parties that elect members
to the Diet
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Japan has the world’s third biggest national economy after
the United States and China.
It has few natural resources, few minerals, and limited
farmland.
It must import most of its iron and energy needs and nearly
one-third of its food needs.
However, it has developed a manufacturing sector that leads
the world in engineering, machinery, road vehicles, and
electronic products.
 This helped to make Japan rich from the ‘60s to the ‘80s.
INTRODUCTION
Economic downtown in 1990s as a result of:
 troubled banking system,
 corporate difficulties,
 bad investment choices,
 a too-powerful bureaucracy, and
 a political system that seems to be immune to reform.
 RISE OF COMPETITORS: Korea, Taiwan, CHINA, Indonesia,
Malaysia, etc. These all undercut Japan’s market NICHE in
the 1980s.
INTRODUCTION
Japan is noted for two statistics rates:
Longest life expectancy
Lowest homicide rate
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
The Shoguns (1192–1868)
Military dictators ruling as the “servants” of the Emperor.
 Shoguns ruled through a complex hierarchy.
 Territorial lords (daimyo)
 Warriors (samurai)
 At the beginning of seventeenth century (@ 1600), new
capital of Japan was Edo.
For 250 years Japan practiced isolationism.
 Sakoku, or the “closed country”
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
 The end of Japanese isolationism came in July 1853.
 Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy sailed into Tokyo
Bay with a demand from President Millard Fillmore that Japan
open its doors to trade.
 Treaty with United States signed in 1854.
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
Limited Democracy and Imperialism (1868–
1945)
 1868: Meiji restoration: new era of modernization
 Edo was renamed Tokyo.
 New sense of nationalization occurred.
 Industry grew
 Powerful new military was built
 1889: New constitution was established.
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
Limited Democracy and Imperialism (1868–1945)
 1932: Japanese formalized its occupation of the state of
Manchukuo in Manchuria.
 This action broke with international law.
 Japan withdrew from the League of Nations.
 1940: Japan allied itself with Germany and Italy.
 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
 Attack results in declaration of war by United States and Britain.
 1945: United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, leading to the surrender of Japan.
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
Occupation and the Rise of the New Japan
 1945: Japan emerged from World War II.
 Its economy was in ruins.
 Its social and political systems was fragile and confused.
 It was under foreign occupation.
 U.S. General Douglas MacArthur
 In charge of disarming, democratizing, and permanently demilitarizing
Japan
 Oversaw the creation of new political and social system having
elements of Western-style democracy
 Arranged for new constitution
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
Japan Today
 Politically: It needs leadership.
 Difficult to understand and reform
 Economically: Consumer confidence is low.
 2006-2007: Japan was the only liberal democracy to experience
deflation.
 2011: Unemployment was running at about 5%.
 Changes are occurring.
 Electoral system has been reformed.
 Government ministries have been reorganized.
 Younger Japanese are rebelling against formality and conformity.
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
Japan Today (Cont’d)
 March 2011: Eastern Japan Great Earthquake
 Japan was struck with triple disaster:
 Earthquake
 Tsunami
 Extensive damage to its nuclear power stations
Ramifications were felt through Japan and globally as
part supplies from Japanese manufacturers to vehicle
and electronic plants in many parts of the world were
disrupted.
PART 1: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
POLITICAL CULTURE:
Strong Collective Identity
 Politics is not driven by the majority.
 Decisions in Japan tend to be made by consensus.
 There is little room for individualism.
 Emphasis is placed on the group.
 Feminist movement is weak.
 Underlying reason is tradition and social order.
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
POLITICAL CULTURE (Cont’d)
 Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
government presiding over a unitary state.
 Japan is often called a patron-client democracy.
 Patron–client democracy: The term used to describe the
dynamics of the Japanese political system and its emphasis on
bargains and the trading of favors.
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
THE CONSTITUTION
 Japan has had two constitutions:
 1889: Meiji Constitution
 1947: Written under the auspices of U.S. General MacArthur
 Still in force today
 Some of the features of the constitution include:






Created a parliamentary system
Replaced emperor-based system with popular sovereignty.
Guaranteed human rights
Renounced war (The ONE part that was all Japanese)
Abolished the aristocracy
Created a new Supreme Court
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
THE EMPEROR
 Both Britain and Japan are constitutional monarchies.
The British monarch is “head of state”
The Japanese monarch is only the “symbol of the
state.”
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
THE EMPEROR (Cont’d)
 Current Emperor is Akhito.
 He presides over opening of the Diet.
 His seal is needed for important state documents.
 He confirms the person chosen to be prime minister by the Diet.
 HOWEVER, the advice and approval of the Cabinet shall be
required for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state” (Article
3) and the Emperor “shall perform only such acts in matters of
state as are provided for in the Constitution and he shall not
have powers related to government” (Article 4).
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
THE EXECUTIVE: PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET
 Japanese prime ministers are the weakest heads of
government of any liberal democracy.
 Turnover for prime ministers has been so rapid that
Japan is sometimes called a karaoke democracy.
 Length of term: no more than five years.
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM

THE EXECUTIVE: PRIME MINISTER AND
CABINET (Cont’d)
Role of the prime minister:

 Hires and fires members of the cabinet, as well as all other
senior members of the government and their party
 Appoints the chairs of key governmental advisory councils
 Nominates the chief justice of the Supreme Court (does not
face the same checks and balances as U.S. presidents).
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM



THE EXECUTIVE: PRIME MINISTER AND
CABINET (Cont’d)
The Japanese cabinet is little more than an executive
committee of the Diet.
Ministers are usually given their posts as political
favors, and cabinet turnover is normally high.
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
THE LEGISLATURE: THE DIET
 It has all the typical lawmaking powers of a
parliamentary legislature:
standard powers over lawmaking and the budget,
ability to unseat the prime minister and cabinet
through a vote of no confidence,
a question time for members of the cabinet, and
a range of specialist committees.
 The Diet has two chambers.
Iron triangle: An
arrangement by which
political power in
countries such as
Japan is focused on a
relationship between
the governing party,
bureaucrats, and
business.
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
House of Councillors (Sangi-in)
 House of Councillors is the upper house.
 It consists of 242 members serving fixed six-year terms.
 Half of the members come up for reelection every three years.
 It is chaired by a president chosen from among its members.
 It can reject bills from the House of Representatives, but the
lower house can override the rejection with a two-thirds
majority.
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
House of Representatives (Shugi-in)
 The House of Representatives is the lower and more powerful
chamber.
 It consists of 480 members elected using a combination of 300
single-member districts and 180 seats filled by proportional
representation.
 The Diet meets for only five months per year, two months of which
are usually tied up over the annual budget debate.
 Diet members typically have very small staff and very small offices.
 Diet members do not generally write bills, the bureaucracy does
that
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
THE JUDICIARY: SUPREME COURT
 The Japanese court has 15 judges, 14 of whom are chosen
by the cabinet from lists submitted by the court itself.
 The chief justice is appointed by the emperor on the
recommendation of the cabinet.
 New members of the Japanese court must be confirmed
by a popular vote at the next general election and again at
the next general election following 10 years of service.
 They must retire at age 70.
PART 2: POLITICAL SYSTEM
SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENT
 Japan is a unitary system of government.
 It is highly centralized, and local government is correspondingly less
important.
Japanese local government generally operates as a
willing and efficient channel for the implementation of
central government policies.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM
 There are no primaries in Japan.
 Official election campaigns are restricted by law to a
maximum of 30 days.
 The general election is the most critical as it
determines the membership of the Diet.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Legislative Elections
 Electioneering in Japan is controlled by the strongest
restrictions.
 All of the following are illegal or regulated:
 door-to-door canvassing
 signature drives
 mass meetings
 polling
 unscheduled speeches
 Parades
 literature produced by candidates
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Local Government Elections
 Japanese voters take part in a variety of local elections.
 The significance of local government elections is
relatively minor, except as a potential (but not always
reliable) indicator of support for political parties.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
POLITICAL PARTIES
 Japan does not have a long history of party politics.
 Several parties were formed after Meiji restoration, but
it was halted in the 1930s.
 The party system was reborn in 1945.
 From 1955 to 1993, every government was formed and
led by the Liberal Democrats.
 Changes in the party system took another dramatic
turn in the 1993 elections, when defections from the
LDP resulted in big losses and the emergence of three
new parties.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
POLITICAL PARTIES (Cont’d)
 There were predictions that a two-party system might
emerge, with the LDP on the right and the New Frontier
Party (NFP) on the left, but this idea died in late 1997
with the collapse of the NFP.
 LDP staged a comeback in 2005.
 2009 general election: LDP and the DPJ almost exactly
reversed their representation in the House.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (Jiyuminshuto)
 The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) originated in 1870.
 It was reformed in 1955 when the two main
conservative parties joined forces.
 The LDP is a classic example of Japanese consensus
politics.
 It is a mainstream, conservative, pro-business party.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (Jiyuminshuto)
(Cont’d)
 Reasons for longtime dominance of the LDP:
 As it began in 1950, it was the party of experience.
 It could meet popular expectations for stability and economic prosperity.
 It was the only party able to take advantage of the multimember
constituency system used until 1995.
 It had extensive contacts in business.
 Bureaucracy needed to raise money to support fielding multiple candidates.
 The LDP benefited from the slowness with which constituency lines
were redrawn.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (Jiyuminshuto)
(Cont’d)
 Reasons for longtime dominance of the LDP (Cont’d):
 The LDP factions do not provide real policy alternatives as much as they
promote their leaders to positions of power.
 Opposition parties failed to offer a distinct ideological alternative.
 It has an impressive network of grassroots supporter groups with personal
ties to Diet members.
 Japanese voters tend to be conservative.
 The LDP is a chameleon party, adapting its policies to meet the changing
tastes and needs of voters.
 Calder: Crisis and Compensation thesis.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) (Minshuto)
 1992–1993 New Harbinger Party (Shinto Sakigake)
split off from Liberal Democrats.
 Broke apart in August, 1996, with defectors forming
centrist DPJ.
 Its key goals include greater political transparency and
decentralization, more equal economic opportunity, and
a more independent approach to Japanese foreign
relations.
Figure 5.1 Legislative Electoral Trends in Japan
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Clean Government Party (CGP) (Komeito)
 Groups of disaffected LDP members of parliament
broke away during 1992–1993 to form three new
parties:
 the Japan New Party,
 the Japan Renewal Party, and
 the New Harbinger Party.
 These joined forces with four other small parties—
including Komeito (founded in 1964) and the Social
Democrats—to form the multiparty coalition that finally
broke the LDP’s 38-year grip on power in 1993.
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Clean Government Party (CGP) (Komeito)
 In December 1994, the New Frontier Party (NFP) united
no fewer than nine opposition groups under the
leadership of Ichiro Ozawa.
 Ozawa disbanded the NFP in December 1997, and
most of its members agreed to create New Komeito.
The leaders of Japan’s political
parties pose before a meeting at
the National Press Club of Tokyo
in June 2010. From left to right:
Kazuo Shii of the Japan
Communist Party, Sadakazu
Tanigaki of the Liberal
Democratic Party, Prime Minister
Naoto Kan of the Democratic
Party of Japan, Natsuo
Yamaguchi of the New Komeito
Party, Mizuho Fukushima of the
Social Democratic Party, and
Yoshimi Watanabe of Your Party.
Koji Sasahara/AP Photo
PART 3: ELECTIONS AND PARTIES
Other Parties
 The two remaining parties of national significance are
both on the left of the political spectrum:
 Social Democratic Party (SDP)
 Successor to the Japan Socialist Party (JSP)
 Japan Communist Party (JCP)
 Founded in 1922 with Soviet support, but not legalized until 1945
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
ECONOMIC POLICY
 Key factors in Japan’s economic success include:
 A close relationship between government and business
 Japanese companies can borrow more than their American
counterparts.
A close relationship between government, business,
and labor unions
 Lowest number of days lost through strikes
 Workers are highly productive, and tend to put the good of the
company before their own personal welfare.
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
ECONOMIC POLICY (Cont’d)
 Key factors in Japan’s economic success include:
(Cont’d)
 Major investments in new technology and research and
development
 Emphasis on greater automation
 High levels of household savings
 Japanese save a remarkable 27 percent of their income, much
of which is invested, thus helping economic development.
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
ECONOMIC POLICY (Cont’d)
 Unfortunately, economic growth has come at the expense of
quality of life.
 Little has been invested in environmental protection, welfare, and
basic services.
 The Japanese work long hours.
 Driven by high-cost of living
 Loyalty and obligation toward employer
 This has led to karoshi (death from overwork).
 Court cases have been filed against companies by the families of workers who have
died relatively young from heart attacks or strokes.
 Labor laws have been changed to limit companies with more than 30 employees to a
40-hour working week.
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
ECONOMIC POLICY (Cont’d)
Despite their work ethic, the Japanese have less
purchasing power.
 Consumer goods are relatively expensive.
 Land and real estate prices are among the highest in the world.
 Cities are crowded.
 Housing is in short supply.
 Homes are small.
 Commuters often have to travel up to two hours a day each way
between home and work.
Figure 5.2 Comparing Trade Balances
Source: The Economist, April 2011. Figures are for preceding 12 months.
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
FOREIGN POLICY
 Clause was included in the Japanese constitution to
prevent the reemergence of Japanese militarism.
 It has provoked controversy within Japan, and complicated
relations with the United States.
 Article IX – Peace Clause
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
Japan and the United States
 Japanese Mutual Security Treaty of 1954: Japan agrees to
the stationing of U.S. troops on its soil.
 Also, Japan has maintained the Self-Defense Force (SDF),
whose job during the cold war was to provide the United
States with intelligence.
 U.S. and Japanese economic and defense interests are
linked together closely, but the two countries are economic
rivals.
 There is growing support among Japanese for their country
to play a more assertive role in world.
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
Japan and Its Neighbors
 Although Japan spends some $47 Billion in defense
Similar to Britain or Russia’s military budgets
 Its main priority has been to stay friendly with everyone
and to build trade.
 In recent years, Japan has become interested in
spreading its influence to poorer countries.
PART 4: POLICIES AND POLICYMAKING
JAPANESE POLITICS IN TRANSITION
 Challenges facing Japan today:
 opening its markets to its trading partners,
 finding a new role for itself at the heart of an Asia filled with
rapidly growing economies, and
 reforming its political system in a way that takes government out
of smoke-filled rooms and moves it more fully into the public
arena.
 The core problem remains with the structure of
government.
 Failures of reforms for structure to take root
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is the difference (if any) between
modernization and Westernization?
2. What evidence is there of social hierarchies in the
United States and Britain, and how do their
political consequences compare with those of
Japanese social hierarchy?
3. It is often said that Japanese prime ministers are
caretakers or functionaries rather than leaders. To
what extent could the same be said of U.S.
presidents and British prime ministers?
STUDY QUESTIONS
4. Which is best for government and the people:
regular or slow turnover in the office of the
executive?
5. To what extent is factionalism a part of
politics in other liberal democracies? Is it
something peculiarly Japanese?
6. Compare and contrast the power and role of
political parties in Japan and the United
States.
STUDY QUESTIONS
7. What are the costs and benefits of a singleparty-dominant system like that of Japan?
8. Is Japan an economic superpower?
9. Should Japan be allowed to take care of its
own defense?
10.What reforms are needed to bring stability to
the Japanese political system?