Japan Notes PDF

Chap 10 notes (japan) After world war 2, the japenese economy skyrocketed and became one of the worlds wealthiest As the economy grew, inequality did not increase Japans economic miracle ended in 1990, and japans economy has went from bad to worse A banking crisis emerged...

Chap 10 notes (japan) After world war 2, the japenese economy skyrocketed and became one of the worlds wealthiest As the economy grew, inequality did not increase Japans economic miracle ended in 1990, and japans economy has went from bad to worse A banking crisis emerged in the 1980s, unemployment, deflation, bankruptcies, and other shocked the economy The Japanese government have struggled to fix the economy The economy started to increase, until 2008-2009 when a global financial crisis occurred Prime minister, “shinzo abe”, also known as “abenomics” gave the japanese public hope of sustained recovery Dismantling the long term economic effects requires deregulation of long-protected sectors of the economy, and whether the gov wants to pursue change Japans population is aging and shrinking, low birth rates Deregulation will help the economy in the longrun, but not the short run Japan partnered with elevel pacific rim countries with the trans pacific partenership to produce a trade agreement Increasing immigrants would increase the working population. Unskilled workers from poorer parts of the world With a lack of experience, it will be hard for the government to negotiate, Immigration is a strong issue in the us, europe, uk etc, but japan was almost completely closed to the world for about 250 years, highly protected The rise of china as an economic and military created new challenges for japan, Japan has to ensure US support for japan, in political conflict scenarios After the Cold War, countries had to adjust their strategies for dealing with international issues (security, peacekeeping etc) In the new world, japan had to make promises to keep peace, fight terrorism, reinterpret its constitution to defend its allies, and stop the spread of nuclear weapons. These have been hard to follow because A minority of japenese citizens and political leaders desire robust changes in foreign policy Japan’s neighbors are cautious because of japans history in ww2 The first inhabitants of japan were most likely hunt gatherers from asia The introduction of Jomon, the new culture began in 11,000 BCE IN 300 BCE, A shift from the Jomon culture occurred after possibilities of invasion and migration in the Korean peninsula Yayoi was the new culture, characterized by the use of bronze, iron, weaponry and the development of wet-field rice agriculture Yayoi people spread from kyushu through shikoku and into the mainland Yamato (the most powerful clan) asserted political control over much of japan The japenese court sponsored budddhism 794 CE, the capital move to kyoto from nara and was the home of the imperial for found the next thousand yeats  The court did not have an effective centralized military system, and the warriror clans assumed more power Japans medival time (1185-1600 approx) was a time of frequent warfare and tumult In 1600, the tokugawa clan achieved prominence and a considerable degree of national unity Tokugawa ruled from present day tokyo 1600 to 1868, under the rule the japanese society took a rigid, systematic format, and closed japans contact with the outside world The japanese court sponsored buddhusm, started writing history in chinese characters, constitution, and promulgated legal codes Commodore matthew C perry delivered a letter from the us president millard fillmore demanding that the tokugawa president open up japan for trade with the us Tokugawa gov realized that isolation resulted in japan coming weak, and barons decided to overthrow the government Meiji restoration (change in leadership) occurred in 1868, and they used the emperor to signify unity The new government wanted to centralize control and strengthen japan, catch up with the imperialist powers of the west and rid itself of unequal treaties The government establish DIet, a bicameral (2 part house and senate) legislative body on the model of a european parlimatent democracy. The oligarchs maintained to control the cabinet decision making by choosing the prime minister and other ministers of governments to government beauracracies The 1889 constitution gave the diet the ability to reject certain gov actions Taisho democracy, most democratic in 1918 and 1932, cabinets were dominated by political parties, party controlled cabinets eventually became the norm After the assassination of Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai by ultranationalists, the military took over the government with little visible public opposition. The end of civilian government brought a rapid increase in spending on munitions, especially after 1937, when the army began a full-scale war against China. he turning point in the Pacific War came in June 1942 in the battle for Midway, a physically insignificant but strategically located atoll in the mid-Pacific. Admiral Yamamoto’s superior sea forces were destroyed by U.S. bombers, a defeat from which the Japanese navy never fully recovered. Japanese forces continued to fight, with dwindling chances of success. Japan lost 2 million soldiers in addition to the 3 million or so civilians who were killed in U.S. bombing raids, totaling about 3.5 percent of the 1939 population. Estimates of Chinese loss of human life in the war range from 10 million to 20 million people, about 3 to 6 percent of the population. It was not until Japan’s surrender in August 1945 that the military’s role in politics was ended and civilian democracy was allowed to flourish The allied occupation of japans main goal was to demilitarize/democratize japan, it demolized the arm and navy Implementation of a new constitution. SCAP produced a draft for retaining sovereignty, adding extensive guarantees for individual liberties, social equity, gender equslity The peace clause, japan renouces the right to wage war  Land reform was another aim of the occupation, poverty was a significant factor of radicalism and militariansimm Article 28 of the new constitution granted the right to strike and bargain for labor relations The us switched its objections to stablization and growth while being allies with japan Japan signed a treaty with san francisco in 1951, ending the occupation and the us japan mutual security treaty was signed, allow the us to station troops in japan, and use onikawa as a base, after all Japan was a sovereign state, had a stable political system, and was back economically Social conditions: Japan is the 11th most popular, population is shrinking 126. Million people, shrinking by 0.16 a year Death rate 9.51, birth rate 7.93, Very limited natural resources, low poverty rates, mostly middle class, income dropped to 26 in the world Inequality has increased, japan is 99% japanese, lower crime rates The promulgation in the constitution in 1947 vested sovereignty in the people for the first time, made the cabinet and prime minister responsible to a democratically elected legislature, extended suffrage to women, and established freedom/rights The japans system of government is bicameral, unitary, and parliamentary The diet does not have to separately elect a president according to the constitution The diet: house of representatives (the lower house) , and the house of councillors (upper house ) For a law, both chambers have to pass an identical bill, the japanese upper house is one of the worlds strongest After an election, the new parliament selects a prime minister, typically the leader of the largest party in the Lower House. While the Upper House can suggest a nominee, the Lower House's choice takes priority under Article 67 of the Constitution. The prime minister appoints a Cabinet, with at least half of its members being legislators, as required by Article 68 (though in practice, almost all are). These appointees lead the ministries and agencies of the central government. From 1955 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 2009, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader typically became prime minister. However, there were brief periods when non-LDP leaders, including from the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), held the position. Since December 2012, LDP leader Shinzō Abe has held the role. Prime Minister's Role: Traditionally, Japanese prime ministers acted as a “first among equals,” managing party and faction competition, rather than leading policymaking efforts. Bottom-Up Policymaking: Under the LDP's long reign, policy typically emerged from within specialist committees, moving up through party and bureaucratic ranks until reaching the Cabinet. New Cabinet Law: In the late 1990s, a new law expanded the prime minister’s power to propose policies top-down, rather than waiting for bottom-up consensus.  Koizumi’s Use of Powers: Jun’ichiro Koizumi (2001–2006) was the first prime minister to leverage these expanded powers, using them assertively in policymaking. Consensus vs. Opposition: The old bottom-up approach ensured stakeholder support, making it easier to pass laws. However, the new top-down approach often faces stronger opposition, even within the governing party. Prime Ministerial Tenure: Though prime ministers are formally elected by the Lower House, they largely serve at the pleasure of their party, with frequent changes driven by party dissatisfaction or election losses. Frequent Changes in Leadership: Between 1993 and 2013, Japan saw fourteen prime ministers, with rapid turnover between 2006 and 2013, including seven prime ministers in just seven years. Japan is divided administatevely into 47 prefactures, each elects its own government and legislatures Japan is not a federals system, all local gov authority is delegated and can be overruled by the government Administrative Division: Japan consists of forty-seven prefectures, each with its own elected governor and legislature, along with numerous municipalities that elect mayors and city councils. However, Japan is not a federal system; local government authority is granted by the national government, which can revoke it. Local Government Financing: Subnational governments manage about two-thirds of government spending but only generate about one-third of tax revenues. Consequently, around half of their budgets come from the national government, which sets the annual budget. Municipality Mergers: The Japanese government has been merging smaller municipalities into larger units to streamline administration, resulting in a decrease from 3,232 municipalities in 1999 to 1,730 by 2010. Plans aim to reduce the number of municipalities to 1,000. Local Politics and National Impact: Local dissatisfaction with national policies can lead to the election of progressive or populist local leaders, who may challenge central government decisions. This local discontent can influence national policy changes, as seen in the 1970 environmental policy shift following pressure from local governments. Ongoing Frustration: Local governments continue to express concerns over various national issues, such as airport development and hosting U.S. military facilities, signaling to the national government the need for political sensitivity to local complaints. The judicial independence is almost equal to the US courts Political domination/manipulation of the courts result from the govs abilities to use appointment powers Judicial Independence vs. Reality: Although Japan's Constitution guarantees judicial independence (Articles 76–81), in practice, the courts are influenced by political factors, particularly through government appointment powers. Supreme Court Appointments: The Cabinet appoints the fifteen Supreme Court members and influences lower court appointments, limiting the judiciary's independence. Judges face periodic public votes for retention, but no judge has been removed by voters.  Judiciary's Role: The judiciary protects individual rights and resolves disputes among branches of government. However, in Japan's unitary parliamentary system, the need for a solid constitutional court is less significant than federal systems like the U.S. Political Subordination of Courts: The long rule of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has led to judicial decisions that often align with the party's interests, such as upholding the constitutionality of Japan's Self-Defense Forces. Malapportionment Issues: Courts have identified malapportionment in House of Representatives elections as unconstitutional but have not enforced strict reapportionment, allowing the LDP to maintain electoral advantages. Despite warnings, no polls have been voided or rerun due to these issues. Japanese political behavior is attriubted to political culture The theory of japanesses They view themselves as being hierarchically organized and status conscious., unlike westerners Social hierarchies govern most relationships, people must fit in to be successful, college entrance exams are extremely hard, determines what kind of jobs are available against graduation, etc Japan has a traditional lifetype empolymnet system with seniority pay, job satisfaction is lower in Japan than the US Less optimistic about life since the recession Citizens trust for politicians and religious organizations Womens roles in politics and the workplace remain limited in japan, even though they have improved, there are little involvement of women in politics Japans constitution is the most gender friendly in the world (article 14) everyone is equal The diet revised the equal employment law to bar discrimination in the workplace, but women are expected to find employment that transitions into childcare or marriage On July 31, 2016, Yuriko Koike was elected the first woman governor of Tokyo. To improve: demographic, grant women equal roles in the paid workforce, allow more immigration, the decline of lifetime employment Japanese political behavior and economic success have also been attributed to ethnic and cultural homogeneity. However, there are still minority groups who face significant discrimination Japanese families traditionally live in large, multigenerational households, they are cared for by the wife of the eldest son, or eldest daughter Elders live in villages, younger people live in bigger home In 2000, Japan passed new long-term care insurance in which the government has undertaken a larger role in supporting the elderly in publicly subsidized nursing homes There is a shortage of nursing homes, women typically work until the children are born and begin back when the child is 5 Japanese students score high on international league in math and science, typically go to cram schools The economic stagnation means less job openings and college graduates Education affects political socialization in important ways,  pecifically the way that Japan’s role in the Pacific War (1937–1945) is presented in the government-sanctioned history textbooks. China’s and Korea’s governments continuously protest that the Japanese government and people remain insufficiently penitent for the depredations of the Japanese army in Asia, and Japanese textbooks remain a focal point in this debate. Media plays a big role, most get their news from tv, radio, print newspapers, etc Internet pentration is at 84% in 2014, japanese Newspapers have the highest reach in the world and have the most circulation Japan’s three main papers cover a range of political space, with Asahi taking a center-left position against Mainichi’s centrism and Yomiuri’s more conservative stance. But some observers have questioned the independence of the established press in Japan, because the “press club” system seems to entail a swap of inside information for docility. The political involvment is low, many forms of participation are not prevalent (more votes at the local level) With adult suffrage after WW2, participation went up The youngest Japenese are least interested in politics, peaks at middle age , in 2014, turnout sunk to an all-time low of 52.7 percent.308 Recent elections have seen both turnout and party fortunes swing wildly. The 2005 Lower House election coupled 67.5 percent turnout with a huge swing for the LDP, only to be followed in 2009 by 69.3 percent turnout and an even larger swing away from the LDP and for the DPJ. Then, in 2012, the DPJ was hugely unpopular. Rather than swing back to the LDP, however, millions of 2009 voters abstained in 2012, and turnout plummeted to 59.3 percent. Still, the result of all of those 2009 DPJ voters abstaining was another big win for the LDP, as we will discuss in the next section.309 The 2012 pattern repeated itself in 2014—there were even more abstentions as voters dissatisfied with the LDP chose to stay home rather than support any other party. Those born before or during feel the duty to vote the most Electoral rules structure the nature of competition among politicians for office Such details as the size and location of electoral districts, the number of seats up for grabs, and the number and partisanship of competitors determine how politicians must behave in order to win. The configurations over voters interests^ Electoral rules have consequences for policy, the national diet use different electoral rules Members of the house of representatives serve 4 terms, but most members terms usually end early because its a parliamentary and the prime minister can call elections at any time The house of representatives currently has 475 people, 295 of them are elected by plurality rule Japan voters casts two votes: one for a candidate in SMD (single member districts), and one in the PR ( proportional representation) region The plurality vote rule means that candidates with the most votes win, no matter how much more they have  Japans upper house has 262 members, they serve 6 fixed year terms with half from each tier serving 3 years Each voter has 2 votes for the upper house, one for the prefectural district for an individual candidate, and for a party in the PR district 45 districts in Japan after reforming the districting system and the question of which candidates within the party’s list actually are elected is answered by counting the number of preferences votes that each received. Campaigns: one campaign car, restricted on money raising, spending, etc, tv adds are limited Campaign duration: lower house- 10 days Postwar japanese party stages 1) Throughout the occupation, characterized by new parties, and disappearance of old ones 2) 1955, with the formation of LDP and its chief rival for 4 decades. The tiny Japan party and Japan socialist party rounded out the system The second party led to the formation of two centralist parties, democratic socialist party, and clean government party (japans only religious party) 3) began with the split of LDP in 1993, followed by the change in the electoral system that sent the rest of the party system into flux. The ldp is a center right, pro capitalist, and pro western party. It has expanded to campaign financing for big firms and business federations for investment friendly policies for economic growth Economic growth=demographic change Urbanization and industrialization reduced the size of groups that were essential to LDP base (retail and agricultural workers) Democratic party was founded weeks before the 1996 lower house election from a coalition of LDP, JSP, and some other formers Democratic is the largest opposition party Komeito was a political arm of a lay buddish organization in 1964 Grew in urban areas during urbanization Komeito Provide money, volunteer labor force, and loyal voters The Komeito’s high degree of organization and concentration of supporters in urban areas allows it to maximize its seat shares. The Komeito’s platform is based on “humanitarian socialism.” It opposes revision of Article 9, but has come to support the U.S.–Japan alliance in recent years. However, the Komeito’s connection to the Soka Gakkai has prevented the party from extending its support base much beyond Soka Gakkai devotees. Unable to grow, the Komeito focused on coordinating with other centrist parties in many districts. New Komeito and the LDP have come to agree on most aspects of Japanese foreign policy and domestic economic policy. But one area of disagreement, evident in the two parties’ electoral platforms, is over the question of constitutional reform. The Japanese party system has developed along dual tracks since the 1994 electoral system reform: a two-party system in the SMD tier and a multiparty system in the PR tier LDP’s main rival was the Japans Socialist party (1955 to 1993)}  he Japan Communist Party (JCP). Formed in 1922, the party was driven underground in the prewar era when many of its leaders were imprisoned for radicalism. LDP= first party choice in Japan 2009 DPJ Landslide Win: The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) won a large majority (309 of 480 seats) in the Lower House, breaking four decades of LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) dominance. Hopes were high for political and economic reforms, particularly regarding economic inequality. DPJ's Struggles: The DPJ's time in government was marked by instability: PM Hatoyama resigned after failing to reduce U.S. troop presence in Okinawa. His successor, Naoto Kan, faced challenges, including the 2011 earthquake and nuclear meltdown, but was undermined by internal discord. PM Yoshihiko Noda dealt with disaster recovery but split the party over tax policy, leading to an LDP comeback in 2012. LDP's Return in 2012: Despite internal challenges, the LDP regained power, partly due to a fractured opposition. Shinzo Abe returned as prime minister, focusing on economic recovery with "Abenomics" (monetary easing, fiscal stimulus, and structural reform). Abenomics and the 2014 Election: Abe postponed a tax hike amid recession and dissolved the Diet, calling a snap election in 2014. The LDP maintained its supermajority, reinforcing Abe's mandate for Abenomics, despite internal criticism. Low Voter Turnout: Both the 2012 and 2014 elections saw record-low voter turnout, reflecting a lack of inspiring alternatives to the LDP In Japan, the most important of interest groups are big business, farmers, and, sometimes, small retailers and small manufacturers. Firms such as Sony, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Matsushita are dominant players in economic markets and household names worldwide Large firms are often linked to one another in industrial groupings known as keiretsu. In the past, big business had little choice but to accept the LDP’s attention to backward, inefficient sectors (such as farmers and small retailers), because the LDP was the only party clearly committed to business interest Small and medium-size enterprises employ two-thirds of Japan’s labor force Small manufacturers enjoy a variety of tax breaks and direct subsidies. Farmers have/are a significant source of votes for LDP because Japanese labor unions are organized on the basis of the workplace rather than by occupation, craft, or economic sector, they are called enterprise unions Japan is a parliamentary democracy, with both houses of the National Diet directly elected, and with the prime minister and the Cabinet chosen by, and accountable to, the Lower Hous Members of the diet can submit bills, but they rarely have hope into passing a law Ministry Role: Ministries draft legislation for policy changes and submit bills to the Cabinet. Cabinet's Role: The Cabinet can amend, reject, or send the bill back to the ministry. Once satisfied, it submits the bill to the Diet. Diet Committees: Bills are usually assigned to committees, but committees have limited power. Bypassing or discharging a bill requires only a small number of signatures. Passage of Bills: Both houses must pass normal legislation in identical form. If the Upper House rejects a bill, the Lower House can override with a two-thirds majority. Exceptions for the Budget and Treaties: The Lower House has exclusive authority to pass the annual budget and treaties. The Upper House can delay, but not stop, these bills. Resolving Disagreements: If the two chambers disagree, they can use a joint "conference" committee, but this is rare. More commonly, the bill is shuttled between houses until an agreement is reached, or the bill is shelved. No one can veto the diets decision Policy implementation: final part in policy making Japan’s security and foreign policy have centered on its close relationship with the United States. (since WW2) U.S. Military Presence in Japan: Japan pays 50% of the costs for 40,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan, with two-thirds in Okinawa, sparking local protests due to land use, noise, pollution, and incidents involving U.S. troops. Okinawa Protests: Long-standing opposition in Okinawa has stalled efforts to relocate the Futenma Marine Corps base despite an agreement to reduce U.S. presence. North Korea Threat: North Korea's missile launches and nuclear development have led to heightened tensions, with Japan's Self-Defense Forces on permanent alert since 2016. Island Disputes: ○ China: Tensions with China over the Senkaku Islands have escalated, with risks of military conflict. ○ South Korea: Dispute with South Korea over Takeshima/Dokdo is symbolic but ongoing. China's Retaliation: After Japan arrested a Chinese trawler captain in 2010, China retaliated by suspending rare earth exports, raising tensions. Regional Impact: China's territorial expansion and militarization in the South China Sea have increased regional tensions and prompted Japan to consider revising its pacifist constitution.