Postwar Japan

apan has a constitutional monarchy and low despotic power, effectively functioning as a democracy with representatives from political parties elected to its national parliament. The monarch or Emperor is mostly the ceremonial or rubberstamp head of the state while true political power is vested in the Prime Minister and most political action runs through a bicameral legislature, (Neely). Japanese society is fully involved in politics through elections and media. Elections are important in any democracy and Japan is no different. Postwar Japan started to see the impact of media on elections and in the late 1990s Japan experienced a regime shift, (Pempel). We will examine how state-society relations affect regime durability through understanding elections and the media in postwar Japan.

Postwar Japan went through a rapid change and

Media in Japan is where one can clearly see the relationship between government and society, with the press acting as a middleman. Postwar Japan media played a large role in elections, (Gunther). The 1993 election campaign was called the television election, (Gunther). Gunther explains the metaphor that the press acts like a “watch dog,” a “guard dog,” a “guide dog,” and a “lap dog,” (Gunther 273). “Watch dog” meaning that the press can alert society to any problems in government such as corruption, (Gunther 273). “Guard dog” meaning that the press provides society with the information they need to make political decisions, (Gunther 273). “Guide dog” which means the press provides society with information about public affairs, (Gunther 273). Finally, “lap dog” meaning the press is a way for government to communicate with society, (Gunther 273). All three “dogs” are an important part of how the government, media, and society interact. Gunther explains that Japan’s press has been a great guide dog, but until very recently was a bad watch