Japan: A Superficially Democratic State?

Japan is the region’s oldest, and, debatably, most robust democracy. Nevertheless, Japanese democratic governance has been bedeviled by accusations that the elites govern in their own interests, and only superficially in the interests of those who are governed, let alone with a truly democratic degree of accountability. This chapter, therefore, addresses the structural and political culture impediments to good democratic governance in Japan. It finds that the qualitative depth of Japanese democratic governance leaves a lot to be desired, with Japan perhaps only bearing a superficial resemblance to a “true” democratic state. Furthermore, this chapter identifies forces in the current government administration which perhaps seek further to undermine the quality of democratic life in Japan.