Researching the History of Political Parties by Bridging the Pre-war and Post-war Eras

My research area is Japanese political history, and I have particularly focused on the history of Japanese political parties. Here, I will introduce three of my recent research themes.

Prospective students of Keio University have likely heard the term "Policy Research Council" in the news. In short, it is the policy-making body of a political party, and studying its history reveals many interesting facts. For example, the origins of the Policy Research Council (Seichokai) can be traced back to the Liberal Party (Jiyuto) and the Daido Club (Daido Kurabu) of the Meiji period. The surprisingly early emergence of such a policy-making body within a political party is remarkable, even when compared to the history of political parties in the West. Furthermore, the most active period for the Policy Research Council before the war seems to have been during the Pacific War, and the vigorous activities of the council within the Imperial Rule Assistance Political Association (Yokusan Seijikai) are striking. While the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is famous, I am tracing the trajectory of its post-war development and its changes under the recent "Kantei-led" (Prime Minister's Office-led) system, all while considering this pre-war history.

Under the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) administration, there is a policy-making mechanism called the "prior screening system" (jizen shinsa sei). This may be an unfamiliar term, but it is a system where the Cabinet must obtain prior approval from the ruling LDP before making a cabinet decision on budgets, bills, and other matters. Since the government cannot make a cabinet decision without the LDP's approval, this system holds significant political meaning. But when and how did such a system develop in the first place? Here too, tracing the history of political parties from the pre-war period can lead to new discoveries. For more on this, I hope you will read my book, shown in the photo, titled "The Origins of LDP Politics."

A research theme I have recently begun is the history of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Today, there is a tendency to emphasize the image of the DPJ administration as a failure. However, looking back at the history of the DPJ, we also see a party that, despite being called a "motley crew" (yoriai jotai), managed to maintain unity, rapidly grew into a rival force against the LDP in a short period, and ultimately achieved a change of government. As is clear from contemporary Japanese politics, it is no easy task for an opposition party to grow while maintaining its unity. I am currently examining the history of the DPJ by conducting interviews with its politicians, working to clarify the factors behind its successes and failures.