Citizen, State and Democracy in Postwar Japan

From the Politics of Confrontation to Accommodation

Early postwar: Divided Politics of the1950s

-Liberal/Democratic Party (LDP) vs. (rising)Japan Socialist Party (JSP) and JCP

L/DP vote %; seat % JSP votes, seats% JCP votes, seats1952 66 70 21 24 2.5 01953 66 66 27 30 2 11955 63 64 29 33 2 21958 58 62 33 36 2.5 11960 58 63 36 35 3 3

Early postwar: Divided politics of the1950s•Three great issues:

1. the American alliance: bases and the bomb

Early postwar: Divided politics of the1950s

•Three great issues:

2. constitutional revision

•place of emperor

•Article 9

•Extent of civil liberties vs. power of state

Early postwar: Divided politics of the1950s•Three great issues:

3. domestic economy: who controls workplace; how are benefits shared

female workers

Early postwar: Divided politics of the 1950s•Three great issues:

3. domestic economy: who controls workplace; how are benefits shared

-male workers

Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80s

Early steps toward accommodation, 1960s

•income doubling

•cooperative industrial relations•with dark underside:

•“Silver Sanctuary•“Bank Worker’s Life”

Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80sFurther issues and new activists

•environment (Minamata disease)

Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80sFurther issues and new activists

•environment (Minamata disease)

Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80s

•social welfare

Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80s

coopting the progressive agenda-1970 environmental laws

-1970s, social welfare programs

Balance sheet on postwar politics?-despite origins “from above”, a significant impact ofpopular activism and democratic politics

Themes in postwar political history

A series of shifts from confrontation to accommodation

Prewar and wartime legacy to the politics of confrontation: “Iron triangle” of business, party, bureaucratic

elites High profile of bureaucrats Prewar roots of progressive opposition

Prewar/wartime legacy for accommodation? 1920s-30s promotion of cooperative industrial

relations Tentative steps toward social policy