CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE POLITICS

This is one of the complementary courses within the "Japan" curriculum of the master degree programme in "Lingue, economie e istituzioni dell'Asia e dell'Africa Mediterranea".
The course contributes to the attainment of the teaching goals of the programme in the area of social sciences. It aims at providing the knowledge and critical tools required to understand the political system of contemporary Japan. The focus of the analysis is on relations between political parties, state institutions and society since the 1990s.

Knowledge and understanding:
- understanding structural changes in Japan’s contemporary politics since the 1990s
- knowing the principal sources for the study of contemporary politics in Japan
- knowing the main theories for the analysis of Japan’s domestic politics
- acquiring the tools needed to understand the political context of socio-cultural phenomena analysed in other courses of the degree programme

Applying knowledge and understanding:
- recognising long-term processes in recent political developments
- navigating institutional and journalistic sources on Japan’s contemporary politics

Autonomous judgment:
- discussing issues covered in the course with consistent arguments

Communication:
- summarizing the contents of the program in an effective way.

Learning skills:
- refining the ability to study scientific texts in English and Japanese

Basic knowledge of Japanese political history in the contemporary period (as taught in History of Japan, part 2)

The crisis of the "'55 system" and the search for a new balance / Election reform and reform of political funding / Changes in the organisation of the LDP: president, factions, PARC, constituencies / The political decision-making process: comparison between LDP and DPJ

Funabashi, Yoichi; Koji Nakakita (eds.). 2024. Critical Review of the Abe Administration: Politics of Conservatism and Realism. Abingdon - New York: Routledge. Chps. 3, 7. (pdf on Moodle)
Funabashi, Yoichi; Koichi Nakano (eds.). 2017. The Democratic Party of Japan in Power: Challenges and Failures. Abingdon - New York: Routledge. Chps. 1, 2, 6. (pdf on Moodle)
Krauss, Ellis S.; Robert J. Pekkanen. 2011. The Rise and Fall of Japan's LDP. Political Party Organizations as Historical Institutions. Ithaca - London: Cornell University Press. Chps 1-2, 4-9.
Nakakita Kōji. 2017. Jimintō: “ikkyō” no jitsuzō. Tokyo: Chūō kōron shinsha. Chps 1-4. (pdf on Moodle)
Nonaka Naoto; Aoki Haruka. 2016. Seisaku kaigi to tōron naki kokkai. Tokyo: Asahi shinbun shuppan. Chps 2 (pp. 68-76, 104-8, 126-45), 3. (pdf on Moodle)
Zakowsky, Karol. 2015. Decision-making Reform in Japan. The DPJ's failed attempt at a politica-led government. Abingdon - New York: Routledge. Cap. 1. Conclusions. (pdf su Moodle).

Final written test: three open-ended questions based on the mandatory readings.
Attending students are also required to deliver a powerpoint presentation on an assigned topic.

Students who do not attend lessons should contact the professor at the start of the semester. A written report on an assigned topic will substitute the presentation.

The exam programme won't change throughout the 2024/25 academic year.

Conventional, teamwork, discussion in class.
Further readings and ppt presentations are available on the Moodle platform.

Italian

written