This intriguing and rewarding monograph examines the manner in which the Emperor system has been reinvented in postwar Japan to reflect and reinforce democratic values. Kenneth Ruoff successfully challenges some prevailing myths and stereotypes about modern Japan and helpfully unravels distorting monolithic images about rightwing politics. His interesting discussion of constitutional controversies and key issues that expose cross-cutting political cleavages provocatively recasts the political landscape, clarifies some of the paradoxes of the polity and demonstrates that civil society is neither as anemic or stagnant as some writers suggest.
How did the absolute monarchy of pre-World War II Japan become intrinsic to its postwar culture of democracy? The era of popular sovereignty established by the new Constitution forced the Imperial Household to make significant adjustments and concessions, although the author demonstrates that at times constitutional constraints have been breached and some habits have persisted. By stripping the monarchy of all of its wealth and assets, the Occupation authorities made it dependent on public funds and thus beholden to taxpayers and their representatives. Surviving the transition into the era of popular sovereignty meant that it had to reach out to the masses and search for a new and meaningful role that justified its existence.
The popularization of the Imperial Family began under the Occupation, although Ruoff argues that it is only under Emperor Akihito that this has been fully possible, as Emperor Showa was ill-suited to "selling" the institution and labored under the burdens of his wartime legacy. Having officially renounced his divinity at the insistence of the Occupation authorities, he toured around Japan, met with the masses and somewhat awkwardly "pressed the flesh," not quite like a politician on the hustings, but at least trying to bring the throne closer to the people.