Less than 10% of Japan's new legislature members are women; just three out of 21 cabinet ministers are. And only two are under 50
, says Gerald Curtis of Columbia University: “There was lots of corruption and money politics, but there was a real dynamism.” But factional influence has waned. The opposition offered competition for a time, even winning power from 2009 to 2012. But after the disaster on its watch, it has become like thethat dot Japan’s countryside: no price is low enough to entice voters. The marketplace for ideas in Japanese politics has broken down.
Society is changing faster than established powers. Japan is in the midst of a quiet transformation, argues Hosoya Yuichi, a political scientist: “There is a new wind, but within an old-fashioned structure.” On social issues from gay rights to family law, theis out of step. Many voters feel they cannot change the system, which drives some into business or civil society, not politics. “People are kind of giving up on the country,” says Mr Yanagisawa from Gojome.
They should keep three risks in mind. One is external shocks, such as natural hazards and nasty neighbours. A second is internal: today’s mild frustration could turn into something worse. Japan has largely avoided populism and polarisation. But nothing makes it immune to internal divisions. Only 60 years ago Japanese fought in the streets over the security treaty with America. And then there is the risk of aimless drift.
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