This book presents an up-to-date analysis of the political parties that make up the Japanese party system and their impact on Japanese politics and government. It focuses on a central question: why Japanese politics and government has been so dysfunctional in the past two decades? With this question in mind, the chapters provide key background i

Ronald J. Hrebenar is Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, USA.

Akira Nakamura is Professor Emeritus at Meiji University, Japan.

1. Japan's Changing Party System: An Introduction 2. The Rules of the Election Game in Japan 3. Japanese Political Finance and Its Dark Side 4. From Would-be 'Third Force' to Governing Party: The Triumph and Fall of The Democratic Party of Japan 5. The Liberal Democratic Party: the Persistent Ruling Party of Japan 6. The New Komei Party: Japan's Buddhist Party and LDP's Coalition Partner 7. The Fall of the DPJ and Return of the LDP to Power: The December 2012 House Elections 8. The Second Party System and the Future of Japanese Politics