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Citizen, State and Democracy in Postwar Japan
From the Politics of Confrontation to Accommodation
Early postwar: Divided Politics of the1950s
-Liberal/Democratic Party (LDP) vs. (rising)Japan Socialist Party (JSP) and JCP
L/DP vote %; seat % JSP votes, seats% JCP votes, seats1952 66 70 21 24 2.5 01953 66 66 27 30 2 11955 63 64 29 33 2 21958 58 62 33 36 2.5 11960 58 63 36 35 3 3
Early postwar: Divided politics of the1950s•Three great issues:
1. the American alliance: bases and the bomb
Early postwar: Divided politics of the1950s
•Three great issues:
2. constitutional revision
•place of emperor
•Article 9
•Extent of civil liberties vs. power of state
Early postwar: Divided politics of the1950s•Three great issues:
3. domestic economy: who controls workplace; how are benefits shared
female workers
Early postwar: Divided politics of the 1950s•Three great issues:
3. domestic economy: who controls workplace; how are benefits shared
-male workers
Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80s
Early steps toward accommodation, 1960s
•income doubling
•cooperative industrial relations•with dark underside:
•“Silver Sanctuary•“Bank Worker’s Life”
Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80sFurther issues and new activists
•environment (Minamata disease)
Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80sFurther issues and new activists
•environment (Minamata disease)
Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80s
•social welfare
Politics of Accommodation:1960s-80s
coopting the progressive agenda-1970 environmental laws
-1970s, social welfare programs
Balance sheet on postwar politics?-despite origins “from above”, a significant impact ofpopular activism and democratic politics
Themes in postwar political history
A series of shifts from confrontation to accommodation
Prewar and wartime legacy to the politics of confrontation: “Iron triangle” of business, party, bureaucratic
elites High profile of bureaucrats Prewar roots of progressive opposition
Prewar/wartime legacy for accommodation? 1920s-30s promotion of cooperative industrial
relations Tentative steps toward social policy