When the Japanese economy was on the rise, as it was in the 1980s, it
was often suggested that the Japanese way of doing things was culturally
unique and inherently superior. The apparent success of the Japanese
approach to issues such as capitalist development, organizational
management, decision-making, and education was frequently heralded both
inside and outside of Japan. Having endured the collapse of the bubble
economy, and the long economic and demographic stagnation of the 1990s,
the Japanese are now more sanguine about the prospects for their country
in the new millennium. The author, one of the leading political
scientists in Japan, offers a somber analysis and assessment of Japanese
politics during two critical recent periods, 1983-1993 and 1994-2004.
Japanese Politics examines the incremental and yet steady change which
has occurred in Japanese domestic politics and foreign policy. Japan is
now replacing its old policies and adopting a more pro-active outlook.