PO 363 - Politics and Society in Contemporary Japan

This course explores the nature of Japanese democracy and examines state-society and foreign relations in contemporary Japan. The topics to be discussed include the evolution of a distinctly Japanese brand of democracy since WWII, the legacy of the U.S. occupation, the consolidation of the “1955 System,” party politics, interest group representation, political role of women, and the controversy concerning the constitutional revision. In the latter part of the course, particular attention will be given to the political and economic upheavals of the “lost decade” of the 1990s and current political developments. Two field trips will complement classroom discussion.