Japanese Politics Today From Karaoke to Kabuki Democracy

by Inoguchi, Takashi; Jain, Purnendra

• ISBN13: 9780230117976
• ISBN10: 023011797X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-10-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Including contributors with diverse backgrounds and outlooks, this volume provides an unconventional and provocative look at how Japan is situated in a globally unfolding transition from representative democracy to monitoring democracy. In Japan's case, the transition is unfolding from karaoke democracy to kabuki democracy. Karaoke democracy focuses on collectively redistributing benefits with many intervening institutions whereas kabuki democracy focuses on striking an emotional chord with direct conversations between leaders and citizens. A must read for those interested in knowing where Japan is heading.

Author Biography

Takashi Inoguchi is a professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, former assistant secretary general of the United Nations, and current president of the University of Niigata Prefecture. Among his latest works are Japanese Politics, Japanese Foreign Policy Today, Citizens and the State, Political Cultures in Asia and Europe, American Democracy Promotion, Reinventing the Alliance, and The Uses of Institutions. He received his PhD from MIT. Purnendra Jain is a professor of Japanese Studies in the Centre for Asian Studies at Australia's University of Adelaide. Author and editor of 12 books and numerous scholarly articles on contemporary politics and the foreign policy of Japan, his book Japan's Subnational Governments in International Affairs (2006) was translated into Japanese under the title Nihon no jichitai gaiko (2009). His latest co-edited book is Japan in Decline: Fact or Fiction? (2011). He is currently president of the Asian Studies Association of Australia.

Table of Contents

Prime Ministers--Takashi Inoguchi * The System of Bureaucrats--Hiroaki Inatsugu * Legislators--Kentaro Fukumoto * Winning Elections in Japan's New Electoral Environment--Steven R. Reed * Party Politics--J. A. A. Stockwin * The Farm Lobby--Aurelia George Mulgan * Civil Society and Global Citizenship--Jennifer Chan * Welfare Policy--Gregory Kasza and Takashi Horie * Japan's Subnational Government toward Greater Decentralization and participatory Democracy--Purnendra Jain * Reporting with Wolves: Pack Journalism and the Dissemination of Political Information--Ofer Feldman * Revision of Administrative Law as Shortcut to Constitutional Revision--Helen Hardacre