Abstract
The demise of Japan’s iron triangle, consisting of the LDP’s parliamentary party, the central ministries and the keiretsu conglomerates ruling Japan conjointly, has been diagnosed since some time now (Thayer, 1993; Blechinger, 2001). After more than one decade of an unprecedented crisis in Japan’s political economy which severely tested the competences and the legitimacy of Japan’s ruling classes it is about time to resume and to take stock of changes and continuities in her power structures. In a nutshell it appears that (1) the political system after serious shifts and jolts during the 1990s has reverted to the old one-and-a-half party system—with the conservative democrats (DPJ) displacing the Socialists of old as the main opposition party-and with the LDP remaining firmly in the lead role, exercising increased zoku control over the ministries and continuing hereditary pork barrel oriented constituency politics as its power base. The role of the party’s factions appears as somewhat diminished. (2) the central bureaucracy suffered a gradual erosion of functions and legitimacy, affecting notably the lead ministries MOF, MITI (METI) and MFA. This was however compensated in part by the large discretionary spending volumes disbursed by the merged Infrastructure Ministry (MLIT), the supervisory functions of the new Financial Services Agency (FSA), and the strengthened competences of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). (3) the prolonged economic crisis and asset deflation affecting city banks as keiretsu lead managers consequent to a series of bank mergers has seen some keiretsu disintegrate or amalgamate. Yet it appears that other keiretsu, like Sumitomo (having taken over Mitsui) and Mitsubishi remain consolidated, while some of the previously less integrated banking keiretsu continue in a fairly oversized and loosely merged fashion. Thus the keiretsu system’s micro-economic importance may have eroded somewhat compared to their heydays in the 1980s. Still keiretsu affiliated companies continue to dominate organized zaikai business interests, like the merged Keidanren–Nikkeiren.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
The weakness of Japan’s regional economies was perfectly foreseeable.
Both are members of a new exclusive club of sick men as «Newly declining Countries».
On the purchase of the Nagano Olympics of 1998 by Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, see: Kathleen Morikawa, Asahi Evening News (1991).
In a Yomiuri mass survey of mid-December 2000 only 19% of respondents declared to have confidence in the ministerial bureaucracy, a share only marginally higher than those (15%) trusting elected politicians, whilst 55% distrusted either of them.
References
Akahata (2003) May 11
Amaki N (2004) Saraba Gaimusho. Kodansha, Tokyo
Arita E (2005) Loyalties to party, candidates put to test. Japan Times, September 7
Asahi Evening News (1991) Celebrations are over for Nagano, July 6
Blechinger V (1998) Politische Korruption in Japan. IFA, Hamburg, pp 101–179
Blechinger V (2001) Political reform in Japan. In: Bosse Friederike, Köllner Patrick (eds) Reformen in Japan. IFA, Hamburg, pp 89–110
Brooke J (2001) The minister’s misfortune: not-so-civil civil servants. New York Times. November 1
Connors L (2000) Next Steps for Japan: Administrative reform and changing polity. Asia-Pacific Review, 7, pp 109–130
Cowling K, Tomlinson PR (2000) The Japanese crisis—a case of strategic failure ? Econ J, June
Cox K (2003) A local five-party coalition challenges the LDP in Hyogo. In: Reed (ed) Japanese electoral politics. Creating a New Party System. Routledge Curzon, London, 84–104
Dawkins W (1996) Hashimoto set to ride out wave of scandals. Financial Times, December 12.
Donnet P-A, Garrigue A (2001) Le Japon: la fin d’une économie. éditions Gallimard, Paris, p 196–198
Drucker P (1998) In defense of Japanese Bureaucracy. Foreign Aff 77(5):68–80
Eli M (2003) Japan—Gratwanderung einer Weltwirtschaftsmacht. IFA, Hamburg, pp 105
Fackler M (2003) Cost of victory. Far Eastern Economic Review, September 25
Financial Times (1997) January 3
Financial Times (1998a) December 18
Financial Times (1998b) Inside the Fuyo keiretsu. October 28
Financial Times (1999) September 9–November 1
Financial Times (2001) Ministry accused of cover up. January 27
Financial Times (2002) February 2–July 16
Financial Times (2004) March 3
Financial Times (2005) May 25
Financial Times Survey (1998) The Winter Olympics, February 5
Finsterbusch S (2005) Koizumis Drahtseilakt. Frankfurter Allgemeine, July 21
Focus (2002) Sieg der Strippenzieher, June
Frankfurter Allgemeine (1996) November 29
Frankfurter Allgemeine (2005) Mitsubishi Motors mit Rekordverlust, May 24
Gandow A (2001) Japan drängt die Bürokratie nur halbherzig zurück. Handelsblatt, May 5
Han Boon Lai (2002) ‘Tribal chiefs’ iron grip. Sunday Times, March 24
Handelsblatt (2001) January 5
Han-il K (2005) Farmers in Toyoma Prefecture flock to symbol of LDP—not the party. Asahi, September 3
Harney A, Nakamoto M (1999) MITI. Protector turned facilitator. Financial times survey: foreign investment in Japan, p ii, October 19
Hassink W, van Rixtel A (1998) Monitoring the Monitors. Amakudari and the ex-post monitoring of the private banks. CEPR Discussion Paper 1785, January
Hijino K (2002) Japan’s political highways lead to pork barrel. Financial Times, May 6
Inoguchi T, Iwai T (1987) Zoku giin no kenkyu: Jiminto seiken wo gyujiru shuyakutachi. Tokyo: Nihon Keizai Shimbunsha
Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (2005) The labour situation in Japan and analysis 2004/2005. Tokyo, p 58
Japan Times (2002) May 29
Johnson C (1982) MITI and the Japanese Miracle. Stanford University Press, Stanford
Kataoke M, Yamada M (1996) Anatomy of the 1996 Lower House Election. In: Hideo Otake (ed) How electoral reform boomeranged. Continuity in Japanese campaigning style. Japan Center for International Exchange, Tokyo, 153–170
Kerr A (2001) Dogs and demons. Tales from the Dark Side of Japan. Hill and Wang, New York, pp 14
Köhler P (1996) Mitsubishi, ein Staat im Staate. Die Presse, February 5
Köllner P (2004) Factionalism in Japan’s political parties revisited, or: How do factions in the LDP and the DPJ differ? Japan Forum 16(1):84–109
Köllner P (2005) Informelle Parteistrukturen und institutioneller Wandel: Japanische Erfahrung nach den politischen Reformen des Jahres 1994. Politische Vierteljahresschrift 46:39–61
Koyu F (1992) Reiskultur und Ökologiebewegung. In: Albrecht Rothacher (ed) Landwirtschaft und Ökologie in Japan. Iudicium, München, pp 276–296
Krauss ES, Pekkanen R (2004) Explaining party adaptation to electoral reform: the discreet charm of the LDP? J Jpn Stud 30:1–34, Winter
Kreft H (2000) Abschied von den keiretsu? Pohl Manfred (ed) Japan 1999/2000. Politik und Wirtschaft. IFA, Hamburg, pp 156–171
Kwan Wei Kin (2002) Disgraced Suzuki on the brink of arrest. Straits Times, June 18
Kwan Wei Kin (2003) Land of the rising sons. Straits Times, November 9
Mahlich J (2004) Neue Entwicklungen in den Banken-Firmenbeziehungen. In: Manfred Pohl, Iris Wieczorek (eds) Japan 2004, Politik und Wirtschaft. IFA, Hamburg, pp 243–264
Miyamoto M (1995) Straightjacket Society. Kodansha, Tokyo
Matsuba M (2001) The contemporary Japanese economy. Springer, Tokyo, p 2
Moerke A (2004) Corporate governance in Japan: Paradigmenwechsel oder gradueller Wandel? Japan aktuell, 421–429, May
Moffett S (2003) Party politics. Far Eastern Economic Review, November 20
Morotomi T (2001) Japan’s debate on introducing environmental taxes. In: Bosse/Köllner (eds) Reformen in Japan. IFA, Hamburg, pp 209–215
Mulgan AG (1997) The politics of deregulation and Japanese agriculture. In: Pempel TJ e.a. (eds) The politics of economic reform in Japan. Canberra, Australia–Japan Research Centre
Nakamoto M (1996) In: Financial Times, December 28
Nakamura A (2002) In: Japan Times, May 29
Nathan J (2004) Japan Unbound. Houghton Mifflin, Boston/New York
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (2001) April 28
Niwa I (1998) The end of competitive coexistence: large companies and their unions. In: Hideo Otake (ed) How electoral reform boomeranged. Continuity in Japanese campaigning style. Japan Center for International Exchange, Tokyo, pp 128–152
Otake H (ed) (1998) How electoral reform boomeranged. Continuity in Japanese campaigning style. Japan Center for International Exchange, Tokyo, p xi
Pape W (1980) Gyoseishido und das Anti-Monopolgesetz in Japan. Carl Heymanns Verlag, Köln
Pilling D (2003) Koizumi The enigma. Financial Times, November 15
Rahman B (2002) Japan’s trading houses move with the times. Financial Times, November 19
Reed SR (2002) Evaluating political reform in Japan: a midterm report. Jpn J Polit Sci 3:243–263
Reed SR (2003) Japanese electoral politics. Creating a new party system. Routledge Curzon, London, pp 55–186
Rothacher A (1992) Strukturprobleme und Regionalentwicklung in Hokkaido. In: Ernst Lokowandt (ed) Zentrum und Peripherie, Japan. Iudicium, München, pp 59–78
Rothacher A (1993) The Japanese Power Elite. Palgrave Macmillan, London
Rothacher A (2003) Political Corruption in Japan. In: Bull Martin J, Newell James L (eds) Corruption in contemporary politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills, pp 106–119
Scheiner E (2003) Political realignment in Nagano: Hata Tsutomu and the new opposition challenge to the LDP. In: Reed (ed) Japanese electoral politics. Creating a new party system. Routledge Curzon, London, pp 67–83
Schlesinger J (1997) Hidden Shoguns. Simon and Schuster, New York
Schmidt C (2005a) Die Verdrossenheit wächst: Japans politisches System in der Legitimationskrise? Japan aktuell, pp 26–35, January
Schmidt C (2005b) Japan’s Circle of Power. Legitimacy and Integration of a national elite. Asien 96:46–67, July
Schmitt U (1996) Mit aller Macht gegen Japans Bürokraten. Frankfurter Allgemeine, October 9
Siebert H (2005) Jenseits des Sozialen Marktes. DVA, München, p 437
Straits Times (2003) December 4
Sveinsdottir H (2003) Inheriting the ‘Conservative Kingdom’ in Ibaraki. In: Reed SR (ed) Japanese electoral politics. Creating a new party system. Routledge Curzon, London, pp 105–121
Tani S (1998) Political realignment in Hyogo and Okayama. In: Otake Hideo (ed) How electoral reform boomeranged. continuity in Japanese campaigning style. Japan Center for International Exchange, Tokyo, pp 97–127
Tett G (2000) Japan launches bureaucratic revamp. Financial Times, December 6
Tett G (2001) Japan’s showman. Financial Times, July 4
Thayer NB (1993) Review: The Japanese power elite. Political Science Quarterly vol. 109, No; 4, pp 714–716
The Economist (1991) The giants that refuse to die, June 1
The Economist (1995) Sprightly dinosaurs? February 11
The Economist (2001) January 16
The Economist (2002) Middlemen in a muddle, February 25
The Economist (2004) All in the family, May 29
van Wolferen K (1989) The enigma of Japanese power. Macmillan, London, pp 25
Watanabe M, Schmidt C (2004) Die wirtschaftliche Elite Japans—Rekrutierungsmuster und Netzwerkbeziehungen. Japan aktuell Februar, 56–66
Whitten D (2005) Koizumi: crazy like a fox. Asia Times on-line, August 12
Yamada M (1998) Nukaga Fukushiro: climbing the ladder to influence. In: Otake (ed) How electoral reform boomeranged. Continuity in Japanese campaigning style. Japan Center for International Exchange, Tokyo, pp 33–58
Yamaguchi J (2001a) Gaiko no kiko to gaimusho kaikaku. Diamond, September 22
Yamaguchi J (2001b) Result of unfinished reforms. In: Bosse/Köllner (eds) Reformen in Japan. IFA, Hamburg, pp 71–87
Yayama T (1999) The present state of amakudari in Japan. Asia 21:46–47, July
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Note that the article only reflects the personal views of the author, and none of his institution.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rothacher, A. After the banquet: Japan’s power elite revisited. AEJ 4, 399–416 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-006-0079-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-006-0079-x