Understanding Governance in Contemporary Japan Transformation and the Regulatory State Transformation and the Regulatory State

This book explores the transformation of Japan’s state in response to the challenges of governance by focusing on the case studies of ICT regulation and antimonopoly regulation after the 1980s as an example of the new governance school in Japanese politics and beyond.

Understanding governance in contemporary Japan explores the transformation of the Japanese state in response to the challenges of governance by focusing on case studies of two key regulatory sectors: information and communications technology regulation and anti-monopoly regulation after the 1980s. The disjuncture and significant transformation that occurred during this period, explored through rich and detailed interviews with politicians and civil servants, makes this a timely account of approaches to regulatory governance and competition in Japan.

In its examination of these two case studies, this book challenges the established body of pluralist and rational choice literature in Japanese politics by revealing the state to be set up as the key locus of power. The transformation of the Japanese state in these two examples can be characterised as Japanese regulatory state development. Mogaki’s book presents itself as an example of the new governance school addressing the state, its transformation and the governance of the political arena in Japanese politics and beyond.

With its comprehensive review and analysis of the theory and development of Japan’s contemporary politics, this book is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate courses covering governance studies, public policy and public administration, as well as a guidebook for practitioners engaging in policies and businesses relating to Japan.

This book explores the transformation of the Japanese state in response to the challenges of governance by focusing on two case studies: ICT regulation and antimonopoly regulation after the 1980s, which experienced a disjuncture and significant transformation within the period with approaches embracing competition. In so doing, it reveals the transformation of the state and governance in a Japanese context and presents itself as an example of the new governance school addressing the state, its transformation, and the governance of the political arena in Japanese politics and beyond, setting out a challenge to the established body of pluralist and rational choice literature in Japanese politics. With its comprehensive review and analysis of the theory and development of Japan’s contemporary politics, this book is suitable as a textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as a guidebook for practitioners engaging in policies and businesses relating to Japan.