JAPAN Chapter 6. THE MAKING OF THE MODERN JAPANESE STATE Geographic Setting Archipelago of 6,850...

JAPANChapter 6

THE MAKING OF THE MODERN JAPANESE STATE Geographic Setting

Archipelago of 6,850 islands Tenth most populace in world, with about 127

million people Poorly endowed with natural resources Natural trading state Name comes from Chinese characters

meaning “sun’s origin.”

Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

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Section 1


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THE JAPANESE NATION AT A GLANCE


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THE MAKING OF THE MODERN JAPANESE STATE Critical Junctures

Pre-Modern Japan Meiji Restoration and Taisho Democracy

(1868-1925) Rise and Fall of Militarist Nationalism (1926-

1945) The Birth and Evolution of a Pacifist

Democracy (1945-Present)


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THE MAKING OF THE MODERN JAPANESE STATE The Four Themes and Japan

Japan in a Globalized World of States Governing the Economy The Democratic Idea The Politics of Collective Identity


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Where Do You Stand?

Is Japan a particularly exceptional nation in the modern world? Why or why not?

Is Japan a particularly good subject of comparative politics because it is so different from or so similar to some other nations or both?


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POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT State and Economy

Rapid economic growth 1950s-1970s Wars helped Japanese economy to grow Government played key role in development

of economy By 1980s, seen as threat to U.S. industry Administrative guidance system Abenomics


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Section 2

POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT Society and Economy

Characterized by interdependence and networking among giant and small firms Keiretsu

Gender gaps Relative poverty rising


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POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT Environmental Issues

Four Great Pollution Trials UNFCCC (adopted Kyoto Protocol)

But more emphasis on economic issues Nuclear disaster in Fukushima Prefecture


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POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT Japan in the Global Economy

The trading state Japan pursued rapid industrialization. Conducted export-led development strategy Model followed by newly industrialized countries

Exports primarily industrial goods. Imports primarily food, raw materials, fuel


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Where Do You Stand?

Should Japan continue to rely on industrial policy to achieve a high growth rate of its economy, as it did in the earlier years? Why or why not?

Some Japanese call for actions to accelerate the globalization of the Japanese economy, while others oppose such actions because they believe the current push for globalization to be based on pernicious neoliberal ideas. Which view do you support and why?


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GOVERNANCE AND POLICY-MAKING Organization of the State

Constitutional monarchy Parliamentary democracy Forty-seven provinces subdivided into about

1727 municipalities Unitary state

Provinces and municipalities subordinate


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Section 3

GOVERNANCE AND POLICY-MAKING


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The monarch (the emperor) is the symbolic head of state, but people exercise power through their elected representations in parliament, the Diet.

GOVERNANCE AND POLICY-MAKING The Executive

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Prime minister is chief executive of government Elected by the Diet Executive powers of cabinet are wide ranging

The National Bureaucracy


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GOVERNANCE AND POLICY-MAKING Other State Institutions

The Military The Judiciary The Police Subnational Government


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GOVERNANCE AND POLICY-MAKING The Policy-Making Process

Dominated by “iron triangles” until recently Zoku Pork barrel politics


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Where Do You Stand?

When a national disaster occurs as a result of a private firm’s action or actions subsidized and supervised by government, such as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, who should be held responsible and pay for it, the firm or the government, that is, taxpayers?

What action or actions and by whom might bring about effective structural reforms to end the policy-making stalemate in Japan?


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REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION The Legislature

Diet is highest and sole law-making institution House of Councilors (upper house) House of Representatives (lower house) Bill must pass both houses to become law


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Section 4

REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION Political Parties and the Party System

Mostly Diet and prefectural assembly members with token grassroots memberships

DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) Other parties include:

Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Social Democratic Party (SDP) Clean Government Part (CGP)


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REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION Elections

Old system: single Non-Transferrable Vote (SNTV) method Koenkai

Reformed system: MMP system combines single-member district (SMD) and proportional representation (PR) systems


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LDP and DPJ Percentage Shares of Diet Seats, 1995-2013 Elections


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Voter Turnout Rates in Lower House Elections by Age Cohort, 1990-2012


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REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION Political Culture, Citizenship, and Identity

Ethnically/culturally homogeneous but eroding Well developed sense of national identity Religion not important in politics or society Group-centered culture


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REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION Interest Groups, Social Movements, and

Protest Former Outcaste Class Women’s Movement Ethnic Minorities: Ainu, Okinawans, Koreans,

and New Immigrants Labor


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REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION The Political Impact of Technology

Re-emerged after WWII as leading technological power

Bullet Train Cutting-edge industrial products Social media impact


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Where Do You Stand?

Is the current Japanese parliamentary election system a good one? If so, in what sense? If not, how could it be improved?

Is the Japanese political party system better or worse than the United States’ and how so?


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JAPANESE POLITICS IN TRANSITION Political Challenges and Changing

Agendas Damages left by 2011 “triple disaster” Aging population “1.57” shock Growing debt


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Section 5

JAPANESE POLITICS IN TRANSITION Youth Politics and the Generational Divide

Low youth voter turnout Pessimism


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Percentages of Youth Proud of Four Aspects of Their Nations


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JAPANESE POLITICS IN TRANSITION Japanese Politics in Comparative

Perspective No longer considered an “economic miracle”

or “uncommon democracy” Challenges are comparable to other

contemporary democracies Unique in commitment to pacifism foreigners


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Where Do You Stand?

Do you think that today’s Japanese youth are understandably pessimistic about the present state and future of their own nation or unreasonably so? How does this compare to your own feelings about your country?


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Where Do You Stand?

Should Japan revise its present constitution, fully rearm itself, and become more like most other advanced industrial nations in that regard?


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JAPAN Chapter 6. THE MAKING OF THE MODERN JAPANESE STATE Geographic Setting Archipelago of 6,850...

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