Who really controls Japan?

Question

clearly it is not the politicians or the common people. I have had several people, including Japanese, talk with me trying to figure this out...

I understand the parliamentary system... it doesnt mean they actually "run" the country.../

just to add some data... from 1989-1998 there were nine prime ministers... 　　

another way to ask the question is "who has the real power in Japan"

Kushinada Himesama, if by "media" you mean Dentsu.. (aka the former ministry of propaganda) you may be close... but clearly there is little or no investigative media in the kisha system of japan

is there someone pulling the strings of the bureaucrats?

Answer 1

In a democracy people get the government they deserve. The LDP is responsive to the "people" in it's own way. That's how they stayed in power so long. Farmers have always been taken good care of since the war, construction workers always have had a new mega project to go to work on. Corporations like the big 3 electrical companies always share the government contracts so their employees vote LDP. Small business people who run your neighbourhood tabako-ya, sake-ya, izakaya or Lawson Station all tend to be LDP supporters and they actually outnumber salary men.

Therefore the LDP has always been able to put together a big enough coalition of voters to stay in power. The one or two times they didn't they just co-opted the opposition. When their policies prove unpopular with their base, they just change them. You won't hear much about constitutional change anymore, but you will hear lots about the pension reforms that are a priority with the average voter. That's democracy in action.

The bureaucrats are astute enough not to push their pet projects beyond the bounds of consensus, so even they are not omnipotent. Like the other answerer said, the more powerful PMs have been able to control the top civil-servants. Abe is obviously not going to be one of those PMs, unlike his predecessor. The civil-servants tend to act in what they feel is the best interests of their own department, with a healthy degree of CYA. There is no one pulling their strings. There is a fine line though between dialouge with stakeholders, and being influenced by the industry you regulate. Hence the amakudari issue. In any parlimentry democracy the civil-service has ways of "training" the politicians. They can always give a minister who is not with the program crappy briefings so he looks bad in the legislature. Just because the country is not run the way you would like it to be doesn't mean it's run by a secret cabal.

If you are interested in the actual name of a mysterious back-room fixer it's Ryoichi Sasakawa, but he died a while ago. Nowadays the far-right is out in the open, so Sasakawa's "black curtain" way of doing things is passe. It's no secret that Ishihara is a rightist, but he's actually very popular with the common people. The people of Tokyo deserve him just as much as the people of California deserve to be governed by Arnie.

Answer 2

Many people say "bureaucrats" or government officials have real power in Japan.

Those are, in other words, officials who are working in Finance Ministry, General Affairs Ministry, Foreign Ministry and others.

Congress members are elected. But bureaucrats are not. Do you know "life time employment system" of Japan? It's an employment system in which someone finds a job in one company after college, then work for the same company until the retirement age, 60.

And that's the case for the bureaucrats, too. Unlike US where all government officials change when president changes, Japanese officials work for the same Ministry for decades after joining it after college.

So they must have very broad knowledge and skill in their fields. More than Minister because, for example, Finance Minister is chosen from Congresspeople in Japan and have not necessarily had decades of experience in Finance Ministry work.

But Finance Ministry officials have decades of experience in their work. So clearly, they are better at the job than Minister.

Now you can see that bureaucrats are running Japan, can't you?

If someone is pulling the string, the person must have the real power. But actually there is no one like that. Sometimes, there is a politician who is so powerful as to control bureaucrats, for example prime minister Kakuei Tanaka was the case.

But in the current government, no one. Prime minister Abe is seen as a lame duck now because of crushing defeat in the upper house election last week.

Answer 3

This is a complicated but good question. Well, as what i have understand...it is not totally the government but the private sectors who has the powers. Shall we say, I am a part of the cabinet or i am the politician who is a part of the government- there are private sectors lets say the agrarian people who will tell us to do this.... in addition, it is impossible to get into their world of politics without these people.

I am not so sure with the structure but the case maybe like that.

Answer 4

Forget those silly theories posted above. Japan is controlled by women. The young women in this country have the men by their collective Honore de Balzac. Think about it. Where does the the salaryman's income go? What industries really eat up the largest slices of the GNP pie? Pornography, mizu shobai, luxury goods for wives and girlfriends, enjo kosai, prostitution, etc. Show me a young woman with a great smile and a great body and I'll show you a young woman who can have anything she wants in Japan.

Answer 5

The industrialists control Japan. This has been the case since WWII when the military controlled Japan.

Answer 6

The Japanese Prime Minister & his Cabinet

Answer 7

"who controls" is westerner's concept.
The General will (not consensus) of Japanese (people, industries, ministries etc) moves Japan always. The will of Yaoyorozu Gods, too.

Answer 8

Actually the Yakuza are partially in control.

Answer 9

It still remain as a mystery

Answer 10

The media?