Suchergebnisse

The political reforms that have been going on since the 1990s have drastically changed the face of politics in Japan. The most significant of these reforms was the change of government, which brought an end, albeit only once, to the long-standing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) regime. These changes were expected to change the power structure by altering the contact of interest groups with political elites. I examine this issue based on a longitudinal survey conducted in four rounds between 1997 and 2017.
The results show a robust structure of interest group politics, although the features were weakening. That is, contacts with the LDP and the bureaucracy were sources of political influence for interest groups. The impact of the two-party system and its setbacks are seen in the change in contact with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). However, The DPJ did not function as a source of interest representation.

Despite comparable levels of political participation between genders, a significant gender gap in political empowerment persists in Japan. Women demonstrate a tendency towards progressive perspectives, yet exhibit lower levels of political interest and knowledge. The advent of social media has given rise to a plethora of discourse surrounding its impact, particularly in relation to women's political engagement. Drawing on a survey of 1,723 respondents, this study examines gendered patterns in social media use and political engagement in Japan. Findings reveal that while Japanese women are active on Instagram, they seldom engage in political activities on the platform - unlike men, who are more likely to use social media for political purposes. Nevertheless, social media discussions can occasionally shift toward political topics, potentially heightening gender consciousness among women. This unexpected form of political communication, occurring within intimate online spaces, raises questions about its potential to foster political empowerment for Japanese women in the future.

In Japan, lags behind both developed and developing countries in women's political participation, the number of female assembly members is rising. However, it is unclear whether this increase has led to the adoption of more women-friendly policies. Therefore, this study empirically investigates the association between the two, focusing on local municipalities. We conducted a questionnaire survey of municipalities nationwide and found that more policies related to work–life balance were adopted when there were female assembly members than when there were not. And where more than 25% of the assembly members were women, policies on social and political participation and support for the socially vulnerable were stronger. Thus we find that in Japan's municipal assemblies a higher proportion of female members makes the introduction of women-friendly policies more likely.

Although local neighborhood associations are found in many countries, Japan's are distinguished by their ubiquity, scope of activities, and very high participation rates, making them important for the study of society and politics. Most Japanese belong to one local neighborhood association or another, making them Japan's most numerous civil society organization, and one that powerfully shapes governance outcomes in the country. And, they also often blur the state-society boundary, making them theoretically intriguing.Neighborhood Associations and Local Governance in Japan draws on a unique and

1. Neighborhood associations in Japan's civil society -- 2. Profiles of neighborhood association organizations -- 3. Internal governance and leadership -- 4. Social capital and participation -- 5. Working with other organizations -- 6. Neighborhood associations and social services -- 7. Cooperation and collaboration with local government -- 8. Neighborhood associations and political participation -- 9. Conclusion.