Japan

industrial policy

Japan's governmental approach to promoting economic growth and internationally competitive businesses. Especially in the 1950s and 1960s the Japanese government bureaucracy shifted resources and provided regulatory advantages to specific firms in industries in which it wanted Japan to become internationally competitive

prefecture

Japan's largest admin subunit (akin to states in the US but with much less independent power)

Burakumin

Japan's largest minority group (approximately 2-3 million people) Somewhat like the old "untouchable" castes in India--despite looking exactly like other Japanese-tend to face significant discrimination

Japan Socialist Party (JSP)

Japan's largest opposition party from 1955 through1993

DPJ

Japan's leading opposition party after 1997. Defeated the LDP n the 2007 House of Counciliors election and the 2009 House of Representatives election

Diet

Japan's parliament

koenkai

Japanese politicans' personal support organizations that mobilize support for individual candidates

Meiji Restoration

1868 revolution led by samurai who "restored" power to Emperor Meiji and created a new governmental system centralized around him that exerted power throughout the country

single non-transferable vote (SNTV)

Japan's House of Representatives electoral system from 1947-1993. Voters cast ballots for individual candidates in electoral districts. Most districts held three, four, or five seats. In each district, those candidates (up to the number of seats in the district) who received the most votes were awarded the seats.

self-defense forces

Japan's de facto military

keiretsu

a network of interlocking firms that share their own central bank

Article 9

article in Japan's postwar constitution that eliminated Japan's military and renounced Japan's right to wage war

personal vote

for years, most politicans (especially from the LDP) in Japan drummed up electoral support through their personal popularity and individual efforts to aid constitutents, rather than on ideological or policy appeals.

shogun

generalissimo or supreme military ruler who led Japan

Taisho Democracy

growth of democracy-in the form of greater political and social rights and emergence of political parties-in the first decades of the 20h century. Named after the Emperor Yaish who reigned from 1912-1926

malapportionment

in Japan, many rural districts got more representation than they deserved according to population while many urban districts got less representation than they deserved

Tokugawa era

period in which Japan's central gov was led by shogun

LDP

political party that dominated Japan's gov for all but 11 months from 1955 until 2009

amakudari

practice in which bureaucrats retire from government jobs in the industries they had regulated

Meiji oligarchs

small goup of men who directed the emperor and played the entral role in the Japanese gov in the aftermath of Maiji Restoration

bakufu

the central gov led by the shogun during the Tokugawa era

1947 Constitution

the constitution that the Western powers imposed on Japan after WII and that has governed Japan ever since

House of Representatives

the lower (and more powerful) hoise of the Japanese Diet. Members of the HR serve four year terms, although elections may be called anythime during those four years

House of Councillors

the upper house of the Japanese Diet. Members serve fixed six-year terms

samurai

warriors who ultimately became bureaucrats during the Tokugawa era