Contested Governance In Japan

Contested Governance in Japan extends the analysis of governance in contemporary Japan by exploring both the sites and issues of governance above and below the state as well as within it. All contributors share a common perspective on governance as taking place in different sites of activity, and as involving a range of issues related to the norms and rules for the management, coordination and regulation of order, whether within Japan or on the regional or global levels. This volume discusses the contested nature of governance in Japan and the ways in which a range of actors are involved in different sites and issues of governance at home, in the region and the globe. Including chapters on global governance, local policy-making, democracy, environmental governance, the Japanese financial system, corruption, the family and corporate governance, this collection will be of interest to anyone studying Japanese politics and governance.

Leading specialists from Europe and Japan examine the institutional mechanisms of governance at the global level and provide concrete evidence of the role Japan plays in these institutions. An excellent introduction to the concept of global governance, the volume analyzes how global governance actually works through the global institutional mechanisms of governance. It provides an up-to-date and contemporary analysis of the six most important global institutions, namely: the Group of 7/8 the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development the World Bank the International Monetary Fund the World Trade Organization the United Nations. Written clearly and concisely, the book provides a thorough and accessible discussion on Japan’s role within these institutions and uses supporting case studies to ask whether Japan is reactively or proactively involved in trying to shape these institutions in order to promote its own interests. As such, it will be a valuable resource for undergraduates and scholars with an interest in global governance, Japanese politics and political economy.

The authors argue that with the election of the Abe Government in December 2012, Japanese politics has entered a radically new phase they describe as the “2012 Political System.” The system began with the return to power of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), after three years in opposition, but in a much stronger electoral position than previous LDP-based administrations in earlier decades. Moreover, with the decline of previously endemic intra-party factionalism, the LDP has united around an essentially nationalist agenda never absent from the party’s ranks, but in the past was generally blocked, or modified, by factions of more liberal persuasion. Opposition weakness following the severe defeat of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) administration in 2012 has also enabled the Abe Government to establish a political stability largely lacking since the 1990s. The first four chapters deal with Japanese political development since 1945 and factors leading to the emergence of Abe Shinzō as Prime Minister in 2012. Chapter 5 examines the Abe Government’s flagship economic policy, dubbed “Abenomics.” The authors then analyse four highly controversial objectives promoted by the Abe Government: revision of the 1947 ‘Peace Constitution’; the introduction of a Secrecy Law; historical revision, national identity and issues of war apology; and revised constitutional interpretation permitting collective defence. In the final three chapters they turn to foreign policy, first examining relations with China, Russia and the two Koreas, second Japan and the wider world, including public diplomacy, economic relations and overseas development aid, and finally, the vexed question of how far Japanese policies are as reactive to foreign pressure. In the Conclusion, the authors ask how far right wing trends in Japan exhibit common causality with shifts to the right in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. They argue that although in Japan immigration has been a relatively minor factor, economic stagnation, demographic decline, a sense of regional insecurity in the face of challenges from China and North Korea, and widening gaps in life chances, bear comparison with trends elsewhere. Nevertheless, they maintain that “[a] more sane regional future may be possible in East Asia.”

"As the Constitutional Research Councils begin their deliberations, this timely book brings together for the first time, in English translation, four of the major proposals on constitutional reform. These are the proposals of the Yomiuri and Asahi newspaper groups, one of Japan's major publishing houses, Iwanami, and Ozawa Ichiro, president of the Liberal Party of Japan and a key player in Japanese politics. Hook and McCormack place these documents in their historical and contemporary context, providing a thorough analysis of their significance in the development of thought on the constitution." "Japan's Contested Constitution: Documents and Analysis presents extensive analysis of the evolution of constitutional government in Japan and examines differing interpretations of key clauses in the constitution. It is a resource for anyone with an interest in modern Japan, its politics, law and its international role."--BOOK JACKET.

Debates regarding corporate governance have become increasingly important in Japan as the post-war model of bank-based, stakeholder-oriented corporate governance faces the new pressures associated with globalization and growing investor demands for shareholder value. Bringing together a group of leading scholars from economics, law, sociology and management studies, this book looks at how the Japanese approach to corporate governance and the firm have changed in the post-bubble era. The contributions offer a unique empirical exploration of why and how Japanese firms are reshaping their corporate governance arrangements, leading to greater diversity among firms and new 'hybrid' forms of corporate governance. The book concludes by looking at what effect these incremental but transformative changes may have on Japan's distinctive variety of capitalism.

Corporate Governance in the 21st Century is a very useful addition to the literature on corporate governance in Japan. It is worth reading simply because it updates many of the ongoing issues such as adoptions of takeover defenses, appointments of independent directors, and increases in foreign direct investment. It is also useful because it examines corporate governance from the perspectives of business as well as law. Furthermore, it provides the beginnings of a framework through which to understand the process of gradual transformation. Christina L. Ahmadjian, Journal of Japanese Studies An invaluable set of resources for everyone with an interest in corporate governance in Japan. Covering both basic information and recent developments, the collection provides readers with an excellent survey of the complexity of modern corporate governance and its legal setting. . . in Japan. Hideki Kanda, University of Tokyo, Japan The essays in this collection approach Japanese corporate governance in the 2000s from a variety of novel perspectives novel in terms of subject matter, methodology, and points of comparison. The result is a comprehensive portrait of the current dynamics of change and stasis in the institutional environment for Japanese firms. Curtis Milhaupt, Columbia Law School, US The lost decade of economic stagnation in Japan during the 1990s has become a found decade for regulatory and institutional reform. Nowhere is this more evident than in corporate law. In 2005, for example, a spate of reforms to the Commercial Code culminated in the new Company Act, a statute promising greater organisational flexibility and shareholder empowerment for Japanese corporations competing in a more globalised economy. But does this new law herald a more Americanised system of corporate governance? Has Japan embraced shareholder primacy over its traditional loyalty to other key stakeholders such as main banks , core employees, and partners within diffuse corporate (keiretsu) groups? This book argues that a more complex gradual transformation is unfolding in Japan a process evident in many other post-industrial economies. The book brings together contributions from academics and practitioners from Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. It includes chapters on comparative corporate governance theory and methodology, lifelong employment, the main bank system, board structures, and governance issues in small and medium-sized enterprises. The procedural, substantive and FDI policy dimensions of takeover law and practice are discussed, as well as empirical changes to corporate governance practices in large, publicly listed companies during the past twenty years. The authors rich mix of national, disciplinary and professional backgrounds allows for a broad comparative perspective on developments in Japanese corporate governance. The book will be of great interest to scholars and students of law, business, political economy and Japanese studies, and will also appeal to corporate lawyers and policymakers.

This study provides a broad examination of the current Shinz Abe government in Japan. It analyzes various controversial domestic and foreign policies and argues that its election in 2012 inaugurated a new political phase characterized by opposition weakness and ruling-party unity around a nationalist agenda."

This book presents civil society's rise in Korea through in-depth analyses of today's most pressing issues, from the environment to human rights, from North Korean refugees to labour migration, all in the context of Korea's democratization. Detailed case studies and policy discussions guide the debate on the shifting role of a formerly state-centric to a contested governance system in modern Korea.