Building Democracy in Japan

This book offers a grassroots perspective and holistic understanding of Japan's democratization process and what it means for the nation today.

Mary Alice Haddad (Author)

9781107601697, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 February 2012

272 pages, 13 b/w illus. 10 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.4 kg

'… comes as a long-awaited, welcome piece … empirically rich and theoretically challenging … will rejuvenate the debate on Japanese democracy … is a valuable asset in the discipline of Japanese politics and deserves wide readership.' Sunil Kim, Japanese Journal of Political Science

How is democracy made real? How does an undemocratic country create new institutions and transform its polity such that democratic values and practices become integral parts of its political culture? These are some of the most pressing questions of our times, and they are the central inquiry of Building Democracy in Japan. Using the Japanese experience as starting point, this book develops a new approach to the study of democratization that examines state-society interactions as a country adjusts its existing political culture to accommodate new democratic values, institutions and practices. With reference to the country's history, the book focuses on how democracy is experienced in contemporary Japan, highlighting the important role of generational change in facilitating both gradual adjustments as well as dramatic transformation in Japanese politics.

1. Making democracy real
2. The 'tipping point' model of generational change
3. Building the institutions of democracy: 1853–1990
4. Power to the people: democratization of the government
5. From state to society: democratization of traditional, community-based organizations
6. Inclusive diversity: new-style civil society organizations and Japanese democracy
7. More access but less power?: Women in Japanese politics
8. Conclusion: where do we go from here?

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB], Asian history [HBJF]