BERKELEY, California -- For the people of Miyagi Prefecture's 4th district, the generational shift in Japanese politics has just arrived. On Oct. 28, Shintaro Ito was elected to represent Miyagi's 4th district in a special by-election to replace his father, Soichiro, who passed away on Sept. 4.

We all know there is much to lament about old-style Japanese politics: backroom bargains, cozy relationships, wasteful spending, and systemic corruption. But there is a more honorable side to the older generation's brand of politics, embodied in the senior Ito's four decades of service in the Diet.

My first encounter with Japanese politics came as a college senior serving as a summer intern in Ito's office. Thousands of American college students flock to Washington D.C. every summer to serve as interns for members of Congress or lobby groups, yet few get the opportunity to try this in Tokyo. Fortunately for me, Ito had the flexibility and the imagination to take me on. As one of the very first "gaijin" secretaries in the Diet members' office building, I soon became somewhat of a curiosity among the political press corps.

Ito's first secretary, Mitsuko Tajima -- a Diet legend in her own right -- quickly dispelled any thoughts I might have about taking it easy during my summer vacation. She put me to work filing name cards, answering the phone, serving tea and giving Diet tours. She even offered instruction on how to use a little local Tohoku dialect, known colloquially as "zu-zu-ben," to charm visiting constituents.

At first, I was disappointed because I felt I was not learning much about Japanese politics. Ito was director general of the Defense Agency at the time, yet people in the office did not talk much about defense policy. They did not tell me what was happening in all those committee meetings and Cabinet meetings and Diet sessions that Ito attended. They did not defend or criticize or analyze government policy. But then one day I came to a sudden realization: I was really learning everything about Japanese politics. The function of a Diet member's office is first and foremost to serve constituents, and Ito and his staff were true masters of this art.

Ito had a thoroughly unpretentious air, a self-deprecating wit and a boyish charm that delighted his visitors. Reporters, top executives, elite bureaucrats, local politicians and ordinary citizens from the district would flock to his tiny Diet office. The secretaries would warmly greet the visitors, gently escort them in and out, graciously serve tea and sweets, and deftly manage the constant inflow and outflow of gifts.

Ito was famous for having said that serving as Defense Minister was the realization of "a boy's dream." When he received visitors at his Defense Agency office, he would charm them with tales of the high-tech weaponry and the highly skilled troops at his command.

When he rose yet further, to become speaker of the House from 1996 to 2000, he would declare, with a modest sort of pride, that he was now realizing a dream that so many of his elders from his small faction (the Komoto faction, now the Komura faction) had never been able to fulfill. Ito was somewhat of a surprise selection as speaker, but he ended up being a very popular choice.

He earned a reputation for nonpartisanship. And when Diet members became too entangled in endless debates on issues of minor importance, he would firmly bring them to order and majestically declare a break for lunch. In recent years, Ito was fond of telling the story of meeting U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, now still in office at age 98. "You are still young," Thurmond told Ito, "and you have much more to do." Having finished the story Ito would then vow to remain in office for many more years.

I recently rediscovered my notes from that summer at Ito's office. They give a very down-to-earth look at the daily routine of a Diet office: "We went on a Diet tour today with 80 visitors from Miyagi. These groups always have a Diet member as a sponsor. They are fed at the Diet dining room, and they can purchase souvenirs at a 10 percent discount. Ito-sensei appeared at the main gate for a quick speech and some pictures -- lots of smiles and handshakes. The visitors loved the show and gleefully headed back to Miyagi. This procedure is apparently very common. The season peaks in May with the school trips when this becomes a daily routine. The lines at the Diet building become unbearable. The office keeps a photo album with all of the group pictures. And each visitor gets a special souvenir: a Soichiro Ito ballpoint pen."

Then a few days later: "Another group from Miyagi came today. Sugawara-san (Ito's secretary) and I met them at a theater in Shinjuku. There were 14 local politicians or ex-politicians and their wives. Sugawara-san explained that these groups are treated more gingerly than the large tourist groups. They are generally Ito supporters, and Ito joins them for a banquet and drinking in the evening. From the theater, we went to the Defense Agency where Ito entertained them for about 30 minutes. He stressed the importance of his position as Defense Minister, and he showed off the office. The Tohoku dialect seemed to come out more and more as he talked about the good old days in Miyagi."

I hope that younger-generation Diet members will change Japanese politics in a positive direction, making it more open and transparent, more focused on important policy issues, and less beholden to special interests. But I also hope that they can retain that special personal touch.