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Exploring Japanese Politics & Policy: Insights & Puzzles

Delve into the intricacies of Japan's political landscape, from its historical milestones like the Meiji Restoration to current shifts under PM Abe. Unravel key questions on governance, from power dynamics to policy outcomes and international conflicts. Discover the unique features of Japan's political system and the impact of events like the 2011 earthquake. Gain a deeper understanding of Japan's democracy, imperialism, and social transformations. A comprehensive overview for those intrigued by Japanese politics and keen to understand its complexities better.

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Exploring Japanese Politics & Policy: Insights & Puzzles

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  1. Japanese Politics and Public Policy: an Introduction[Faculty Seminar at East West Center, May 29, 2013] Yves Tiberghien, UBC (yves.tiberghien@ubc.ca) Director of the Institute of Asian Research Associate Professor of Political Science [Currently Visiting Associate Professor at Tokyo University’s School of Public Policy]

  2. Opening Questions • How many main islands does Japan have? • What is Japan’s size? Bigger or Smaller than France or California? • How many times bigger is Canada? • What is the population of Japan (vs Canada)? • When did Japan become a democracy?

  3. MORE QUESTIONS • Who is Japan’s Prime Minister? • Until When ? • Who was Prime Minister before him/her? • Who is the next PM?

  4. Prime Minister Abe Shinzo

  5. PM Abe in 2006

  6. A Disgraceful Exit

  7. Can you Spot 2 Prime Ministers here?

  8. Who is that (hint: a dojo loach)?

  9. And who is (was) this happy guy?

  10. Former PM Fukuda

  11. And Fukuda again..

  12. The most durable man in Japanese Politics: Ozawa Ichiro

  13. A few questions for everyone: • What comes to your mind first regarding Japan’s politics / policy? • What puzzles you most about Japanese politics and policy-making? • What are you most interested in / curious about?

  14. The big event of 2011

  15. Abandoned City… forever

  16. OUTLINE- Top Puzzles on Japanese Politics: • 1. Where did the Constitution come from? • 1b. Why did the US retain the Emperor? • 2. What are differences with other parliamentary systems? • 3. Why did one party (LDP) dominate for so long, crash, and then come back with a vengeance? • 4. Why do prime ministers rotate so often in Japan?

  17. 5. Who has power in the Japanese system? • 6. Is civil society making a major impact since the late 1990s? • 7. What was the Koizumi moment? • 8. Why did the DPJ win massively in 2009 and crashed miserably in 2012? • 9. What is PM Abe doing?

  18. 10. Why are China and Japan engaged in such a bitter conflict over small islands after years of economic integration? • 11. Why did Japan deal so efficiently with the great 3.11 earthquake/tsunami and so poorly with the nuclear crisis?

  19. 1. POLITICAL HISTORY – Origins of Japan’s Constitution and Political System

  20. Key Milestones to Remember • 1. Tokugawa Japan: 1600-1868 • 2. Commodore Perry: 1854 • 3. Meiji Restoration / Revolution: 1868 • 4. Meiji Constitution: 1889 • 5. Imperialism: 1895-1945 • 6. Taisho Democracy:1920s • 7. Militarization:1930s-1945

  21. EDO Period (1600-1868) • Unification of Japan by 3 military leaders: • Nobunaga Oda: 1568-1582 • Hideyoshi Toyotomi: 1583-1598 • Tokugawa Ieyasu: 1600 (battle Sekigahara)

  22. Japan’s Unification

  23. Highlights of Edo Period • Establishment of Shogunate (in Edo-Tokyo) • Peace and Stability for 250 years (Sankin Kotai) • Feudal System (Nobles, Samurais, Peasants, Merchants) • National Seclusion (1639) • Ban on Christianity, Persecution • Proto-industrial development • But occurrence of peasant protests / famines

  24. Ending Years of Edo Period • 1823: Siebold comes to Nagasaki, arrested in 1829 (with shipment of maps) • 1833: Tempo Famine (300,000 dead) • 1837: Morrison Incident, US ship fired at • 1841: Tempo Reforms (conservative) • 1842: Treaty of Nanking (UK-China) • 1853: Arrival of Commodore Perry

  25. Treaty of Nanking-1842UK - China

  26. Perry’s Black Ships-1853

  27. Commodore Perry

  28. Meiji Revolution • 1866: Satsuma-Choshu Alliance Against Tokugawa Shogunate • 1868: Restoration of Imperial Rule • 1871: Domains dissolved • 1871: Iwakura Mission in US and Europe • 1872: National Army created • 1873: First Railroad Tokyo-Yokohama

  29. Satsuma and Choshu

  30. Meiji Emperor

  31. Meiji Revolution-the Bottom Line • Political Transformation: effective centralized authoritarian government • Social Transformation: abolition of classes • Education revolution: unified education • Economic Transformation: the fastest industrialization on record • Military Transformation: a top army in 30 years

  32. Constitution of 1889 • Important Milestone: Creation of a Parliament (Diet), elected by 1% of population • Constitutional Government • Drafted by Ito Hirobumi • The Emperor and the People “rule together” • Power in hands of Emperor, but in reality Meiji Oligarchs rule • No Civilian Control of the Army

  33. Ito Hirobumi and New Diet

  34. The New Constitution

  35. Consolidation and Expansion of Japan • 1855: Japan-Russia Treaty of Shimoda - 4 Kuril islands under JP control, joint control over Sakhalin • 1875: New Treaty with Russia- all Kurils for Japan, all Sakhalin for Russia • 1874: Japanese Military Expedition to Ryukyu islands (Okinawa)- Ryukyu ruler had historically been both vassal to Satsuma and tributary to Qing China • 1879: Ryukyu Islands incorporated into Japan as the new prefecture of Okinawa, ex-ruler is pensioned off (like the daimyos of Tokugawa Japan)

  36. Japanese Imperialism & For.Pol. • 1876: JP gunboat to Korea (imitation of Commodore Perry)- Treaty of Kangwha opens 3 ports to Japan and grants extra-territoriality • 1894: Anglo-Japanese Commercial treaty (end of unequal treaties) • 1894-1895: Sino-Japanese War, Treaty of Shimonoseki. But Japan immediately forced by European powers to relinquish territory in Korea and China (Liaodong). Japan keeps Taiwan (Formosa). • 1898: Supreme insult: Russia takes Liaodong peninsula in China (the very area that Japan had won in the war with China) • 1902: Anglo-Japanese Alliance • 1904-1905: Russo-Japanese War, Japanese Stunning Victory, Treaty of Portsmouth: Korea, Port-Arthur, Liaodong Peninsula, Manchurian Railway, half of Sakhalin under Japan’s control • 1910: Annexation of Korea • 1915: 21 Demands to China (during WWI, JP allied with UK and FR)

  37. Bombardment of Port-Arthur, 1904

  38. Treaty of Portsmouth

  39. Taisho Democracy: a Lively Period of Party Cabinets • From Oligarchy to Democracy? • Centrist/Conservative Parties Manage to Organize Cabinets (and gain power) by compromising with the bureaucracy and the military • Through the Diet, parties control the budget, appointments of prefectural governors • 1918: First party cabinet (Hara Government) • 1922-1923: Death of last Meiji Oligarchs • 1925: Universal Suffrage • 1918-1932: Alternance of Governments between Seiyukai and Minseito

  40. Taisho Period (1912-1926) and Showa Period • 1919: End of WWI- Treaty of Versailles. Japan wins Shandong Peninsula in China and ex-German South Pacific Islands. Riots erupt in China in protest (May 4 Movement) • 1921: Washington Naval Conference • 1923: Great Kanto Earthquake • 1930-1935: Great Economic Depression • 1931-32: Invasion of Manchuria, Bombing of Shanghai • 1930s: Military increasingly gains control. 1937: Total war mobilization coordinated by military & bureaucracy • 1937: Invasion of China; Nanjing Massacre • 1940: Tripartite Pact with Germany,Italy

  41. 1937: Invasion of China, Rape of Nanjing (December 1937)

  42. Dec 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor

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