1st Edition
Critical Review of the Abe Administration Politics of Conservatism and Realism
The second Abe administration, which lasted for seven years and eight months, turned out to be the longest administration in Japan’s constitutional history. What factors contributed to its remarkable longevity? What accomplishments and enduring legacies did this administration achieve during its tenure?
Originally published in Bungeishunju in Japanese, this book examines policies pursued by the administration and its governance based on over 50 investigative interviews with key figures in the administration, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The contributors cover nine major policies, including economic policy, diplomacy and security, work style reform, trade liberalization, and historical issues, and explore why a specific policy was chosen at that time, who made that decision, and on what grounds. Reviewing such decision-making processes sheds light on the issue of governance. Consequently, this book also analyses the administration’s distinctive style of governance, such as strong leadership from the Prime Minister’s Office, ability to navigate party politics, and overwhelming victories in national elections.
An essential for scholars and students in the fields of public administration, public policy, Japanese studies, and Asian Studies.
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
List of contributors
Acknowledgements
YOICHI FUNABASHI
Foreword
YOICHI FUNABASHI
Introduction: What made Abe’s long and stable administration possible?
KOJI NAKAKITA
Chapter 1. Abenomics: Putting the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Japan under the Prime Minister’s control
RYUNOSHIN KAMIKAWA
Chapter 2. Elections and public relations campaigns: Winning over the younger generation in a "silent revolution"
SHIRO SAKAIYA
Chapter 3. The Prime Minister’s Office in charge: The conditions that enabled strong and stable leadership
KOJI NAKAKITA
Chapter 4. Foreign and security policy: The pursuit of strategy
KEN JIMBO
Chapter 5. Politics on TPP and CPTPP: Turning Japan into one of the world’s major free trade powers
TAKASHI TERADA
Chapter 6. History issues: A consistently realist approach
NAOKO KUMAGAI
Chapter 7. Governance of the ruling parties: The pervasive control of the prime minister
HARUKATA TAKENAKA
Chapter 8. Skillful agenda-setting for women’s policy
YUKI TSUJI
Chapter 9. Constitutional revision—Why it failed
KENNETH MORI MCELWAIN
List of Interviewees
List of ministers and key government officials
List of key LDP officials
Chronology
Index
Biography
Yoichi Funabashi is Distinguished Journalist-in-Residence and Chairman of the Global Council at the International House of Japan.
Koji Nakakita is Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Law, Chuo University, Japan.
