＜概要/Course Content Summary＞
In this course, we focus on selected themes in power and politics in Japan. We will look at politics in general, in the sense of who has power and how is it exercised, and more specifically at citizen, party, and electoral politics.
As we will discuss in class, students should read daily newspapers, including Japanese newspapers (or translations), watch news programs on television, and follow politicians and activists to get a variety of perspectives on events. We will be discussing political events as they happen, how they relate to the academic research we read, and as they are reported in Japan, the style, as well as the content of politics and political discourse. Being in Japan and the easy direct access to Japanese politics, and the indirect access this affords via Japanese media sources will enhance understanding of Japanese politics.
One student each week is expected to take the lead in selecting a news story on Japanese politics (or society), summarizing the story and creating discussion questions (sign up in class). But all students are expected to participate in the news roundups.
We will start with politics, but then study ‘power’ in society more broadly.
This syllabus is flexible and I am open to considering topics of interest.
＜到達目標/Goals,Aims＞
By the end of the course students should
Understand citizens’ policy preferences
Understand Japanese party platforms
Understand how parties complete for votes on- and off-line
＜授業計画/Schedule＞
（実施回/
Week）
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（内容/
Contents）
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（授業時間外の学習/
Assignments）
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 1
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（内容/ Contents）
Introduction to the course
What’s to come (a very brief overview of the history of Japanese politics)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Meet and greet - please prepare one slide to introduce yourself
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 2
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Politics and Voters in Contemporary Japan
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Pekkanen, R.J., Reed, S.R., Scheiner, E., Smith, D. (Eds.) The Japanese General Election. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1-50
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 3
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Citizen politics, from the far left to the median citizen to the ultra-right
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Asahina, Y. (2019) Becoming right-wing citizens in contemporary Japan,Contemporary Japan, 31:2, 122-140, DOI: 10.1080/18692729.2019.1655618
Japan Communist Party Website and Japan Press Weekly.
Recommded: Kitayama, Y. (2018). The Rise of the Far Right in Japan, and Challenges Posed for Education London Review of Education, v16 n2 p250-267.
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 4
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Women in politics
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Noble, G. W. (2019). Staffing the state with women. In G. Steel (Ed.), Beyond the gender gap in Japan. Michigan: University of Michigan Press. Chapter 13.
Tsuji, Y. (2019). Women and the Liberal Democratic Party in transition. In G. Steel (Ed.), Beyond the gender gap in Japan. Michigan: University of Michigan Press. Chapter 7.
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 5
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Young people and politics
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Reading TBA
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 6
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: A look back: how did we get here?
Campaigns and elections in democratizing Japan
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Assignment: Shadow Shoguns 19-45
Reference: Siniawer, Eiko Maruko. (2008) Ruffians, yakuza, nationalists. Cornell: Cornell University Press. Chapter 5.
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（実施回/ Week）
Weeks 7
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: The Rise and Fall(?) of the 1955 System
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Assignment: Shadow Shoguns 46-90
Recommended: Neary, I. (2019). The State and Politics in Japan. Chapter 3.
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 8
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Hosokawa to Abe
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Assignment: Neary, I. (2019). The State and Politics in Japan. Chapter 4.
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 10
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Campaigning
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Assignment: Dabney, Dyron. (2008). “Campaign Behavior: The Limits to Change” in Democratic Reform in Japan: Assessing the Impact. In Sherry L. Martin and Gill Steel (Editors). pp. 39-63
Campaign documentary and discussion
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 11
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（内容/ Contents）
Campaign documentary and discussion
In-class: campaigning online
Discussion based on the parties’, candidates, and politicians’ websites (details in class)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Analysis of websites
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 12
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（内容/ Contents）
Hiroshi Mizuguchi (former local politician)
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Reading TBA
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 13
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Abe’s Legacy and Suga
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
Articles from East Asian Forum and Nippon.com TBA
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 14
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（内容/ Contents）
Topic: Social media and political advertizing
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
TBA
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（実施回/ Week）
Week 15
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（内容/ Contents）
Presentations of draft term papers
Short quiz
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（授業時間外の学習/ Assignments）
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Classroom Policies
Every week there will be interactive synchronous (live) seminars. These will be held via the Microsoft Teams online conference system (available to download for free, with a Doshisha account). The success of online classes depends on everyone committing to the same levels of involvement that we share in the physical classroom.
We will use the same guidelines and norms, so that you will be expected to come to class after completing the readings and watching any class video materials, and in class, taking notes, asking and answering questions, and interacting with other classmates.
The first class will include a meet-and-greet session, so please check your technical set up so that Teams, your microphone, and camera are working.
Please check the Teams class noticeboard regularly. I will post messages there and ask you to ask and respond to questions on the chat board.
For everyone’s benefit, please try to participate in a quiet place, turn on your video feed, and mute your microphone unless you are speaking.
The live sessions may be recorded and uploaded, for students who are unable to participate in the time zone synchronously.
Accommodations: reasonable accommodation for students with known disabilities will be made in accordance with Doshisha’s guidelines. Any student who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability is responsible for contacting me as early as possible in the semester so that we can discuss this (within the first two weeks of the semester, even if you are not certain that you will take the course). It is also essential that you contact the ILA administrative staff who will advise you on registering with the Counseling Center early in each semester (see the ILA’s private homepage).
Plagiarism and cheating
It is essential to use proper quotation marks and citations when using the words and ideas of others. Presenting the work of others as your own is plagiarism and is grounds for failing the entire course.
＜成績評価基準/Evaluation Criteria＞
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Two short projects (details in class)
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25%
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Participation in the class (presentations, discussion, attendance,
short assignments, news discussion leadership)
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25%
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Presentation of draft term paper
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25%
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Final paper
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25%
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＜備考/Remarks＞
Note: This syllabus is subject to changes and/or revisions.
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