Japan

Political Culture

• Homogeneity/Uniqueness

• Isolation

• Borrowing

• Communitarian

• Adaptability/Organizational ability

• Emperor

• Power is behind the scenes

Periods of History

• 10th-17th: Feudal Japan

• 1600-1853 Tokugawa Era

• 1868 Meiji Restoration

• 1920s-1940s: – Institutionalists vs. Nationalists

Post-War Japan

• Occupation

• 1946 Constitution– Article 9

• Diet

• House of Representatives

• House of Councillors

• Prime Minister and cabinet

Parliamentary Process for PMPM and

Houseserve full

term

Partywinsmajority House PM PM dies or

General elects takes resignselection PM officeof LowerHouse

No party wins No Confidence fails majority motion

passesParties negotiate PM dissolvesto form coalition House(50% of seats, plus one)

Iron Triangle

Liberal

Democratic Party

Business Ministries

1955 System

• LDP: Liberal Democratic Party

• SDPJ: Social Democratic Party of Japan

• Consensus Politics

Tokyo 1945

Tokyo 50-60 Years later

Collapse of 1955 System

• 1993 Election

• Rise of Democratic Party of Japan

• Koizumi Junichiro 2001-2007