Japan's Political Development During Imperial Period

Question #1 One major aspect of Japan’s political development during the imperial period was the high level of centralization provided by the Meiji Constitution. The political system concentrated a great deal of power in the hands of the emperor and to a lesser extent the legislative assembly. This high degree of centralization was deemed necessary to curtail the power of local nobility, who had long bee the real source of power in the country. Although the Emperor is now a figurehead, the Japanese state remains highly centralized, with little local power. Another important aspect was the development of a strong bureaucracy. The bureaucracy created under the Meiji regime, was highly educated and crucial to the administration of the country. In some ways they were able to carry out some of the duties of the previous local lords, enforcing the will of the central government while also providing a line of communication between the people and their government. Japan’s bureaucracy remains extremely extensive and powerful today.

Question #2 The post-war electoral …show more content…
Civil society groups, to the extent that they exist in Japan, are relatively small and ineffectual when compared to those in other countries. The central government retains tight control over these groups by giving the bureaucracy the right to name certain groups PIPs, which grants them a greater degree of rights, protections, and actions. Anti status quo groups that challenge the government and especially the bureaucracy are often denied this status. The bureaucracy also has close ties to the public sector, particularly through the Ministry of Finance. The MOF sets strict regulations on the economy and often enforces them through the use of “mofu-tan,” bank employees tasked with maintain contact with the MOF and “amakudari,” a system by which many retired MOF officials take high up positions at major