General Editor's Introduction.

List of Tables.

Maps.

Conventions.

Acknowledgements.

1. Introduction: Why Japan and its Politics Matter.

2. Historical Background: Japan's Emergence as a Modern
State and the Politics of War, 1853--1945.

3. Social Background: How far Social Norms and Behaviour
Influence Politics.

4. Political Reconstruction and Development, 1945-1989.

5. One Step Forward and One Step Back: Attempting Political
Reform in the 1990s.

6. New Politics for the New Millennium: The Koizumi Effect.

7. Who Runs Japan?.

8. Parliament and Parliamentary Elections: The Changing
Character of Electioneering.

9. The Politics of Party: The Liberal Democrats and their
Rivals.

10. Some Problems of the Constitution.

11. Issues of Domestic Political Concern.

12. Issues of Foreign Policy and Defence.

13. Conclusions: The Analytical Challenge of Japanese
Politics.

Appendix 1: House of Representatives Election Results,
1946-1955.

Appendix 2: House of Representatives Election Results,
1958-1972.

Appendix 3: House of Representatives Election Results,
1976-1990.

Appendix 4: House of Representatives Election Results,
1993-2005.

Appendix 5: House of Councillors Election Results, 11 July
2004.

Appendix 6: House of Councillors Election Results, 29 July
2007.

Further Reading.

Index

"The first three editions (1975, 1982 and 1999) have been essential
reading for the last two generations of Japan scholars. The latest,
published in 2008, is no exception. This is a masterful display of
concise and informative writing and a joy to read." (Japanese
Studies, December 2009)



"This clearly written and well-organized volume will continue to
be of great service to students of Japanese politics." (Pacific
Affairs, Autumn 2009)

"Devoid of jargon, this book is written clearly and crisply, and
peppered with wit and wisdom. ... Refreshing and pleasing to hear
the voice of an eminent British scholar on Japanese politics in a
field dominated by American and Japanese academics." (Japanese
Journal of Political Science, 2009)

"Arthur Stockwin ... is the leading British expert on Japanese
politics. His analysis is succinct and he has managed to unravel
most of the complexities of Japanese politics. There is much food
for thought in this stimulating and informative book." (Japan
Times)

"This is by far the most comprehensive, up-to-date and
well-balanced introduction to contemporary Japanese government and
politics that I know of. The book will be a boon especially to
instructors and students in introductory university courses in
Japanese and comparative politics." Haru Fukui, University of
California, Santa Barbara



"This is an outstanding text on Japanese
politics--informative, interesting, extremely well-written in
a highly accessible style. The author displays, as ever, a complete
mastery of his subject. This is essential reading for any student
wishing to understand the changes and continuities in Japanese
politics in recent years." Caroline Rose, University of
Leeds

J. A. A. Stockwin received a degree at Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1959 and a doctorate in International Relations from the Australian National University in Canberra in 1965. He taught in the Department of Political Science at the Australian National University until 1981; and was Nissan Professor of Modern Japanese Studies at the University of Oxford from 1982 to 2003. Stockwin remains active in researching and writing on the politics of Japan.

J. A. A. Stockwin, University of Oxford