POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENT IN POST-WAR JAPAN: AN ANALYSIS

This article traces the evolution of political and legislative institutions in Japan from the Allied occupation through the early 2000s. It analyses constitutional reforms, electoral system changes, and the role of the Liberal Democratic Party in shaping governance. The study highlights Japan’s balancing act between continuity and change: preserving stability while gradually adapting to shifting social and economic conditions. It reviews how legislative reforms affected party competition, policymaking, and citizen engagement. The article argues that Japan’s experience illustrates how external imposition and internal adaptation combined to produce a distinctive political order that remains resilient but not immune to challenges such as demographic decline and economic stagnation.

The body begins with an overview of Allied occupation reforms—Article 9, democratization measures, and dismantling of militarist structures. Section One analyses the dominance of the LDP, clientelism, and factionalism, and their effects on policymaking. Section Two reviews electoral reforms of the 1990s, including the introduction of single-member districts and proportional representation. Section Three explores legislative-executive relations, committee systems, and the policymaking role of bureaucrats and interest groups. Section Four assesses challenges: voter apathy, corruption scandals, and pressures for constitutional revision. The conclusion situates Japan’s trajectory in comparative perspective, arguing that its hybrid model offers lessons for post-conflict democracies attempting to balance imposed reforms with domestic legitimacy.