During Japan's prolonged economic malaise, its politicians have been caught with their hands in the till, their pants down, asleep at the wheel or driving the getaway car. The two books under review explore the problems of the political system and help explain why politicians are not making headway on Japan's main challenges. Both focus on the flaws of Japan's parliamentary system in comparative perspective, and draw similarly pessimistic conclusions about the prospects for democracy in Japan.
Some readers might think Bowen's book too brief to do justice to his topic. However, he does evoke the rot of the system and details the kozo oshoku (structural corruption) that impoverishes Japan's democracy. The cascade of money scandals and mob ties reported in the media are depicted as merely the tip of the iceberg; influence peddling is intrinsic to the system. Political power is bought and traded in the smoke-filled rooms where envelopes of cash carry more weight than citizens' votes.
Bowen argues that the seamy side of Japanese politics is corroding democracy and weakening civil society. He writes, "The argument made here is that the sort of ethical dwarfishness displayed by most of Japan's prime ministers in the postwar period cannot strengthen Japanese democracy; rather, it only undermines the sort of public trust required for the occupant of that office to act boldly and lead in making the kind of policy that strengthens democracy."