Tanaka Kakuei Corruption Chalmers Johnson,

Tanaka Kakuei Corruption

Chalmers Johnson, one of the U.S.'s foremost Japan experts, tells us the story of Tanaka Kakuei and the shocking extent of his corruption. But Johnson tells us this story so we can better understand the nature of Japanese politics and the role of the bureaucracy. What is Johnson trying to illuminate for us?

Chalmers Johnson has conducted a very thorough research into the political system of Japan and the role played by Tanaka Kakuei in revolutionizing the elitist political scene. Johnson doesn't try to downplay the corruption scandal associated with Tanaka but he looks at it in a more objective manner. Instead of accusing him of corruption per se, he goes deeper into the very heart of Japanese politics to understand why a man with very high ideals for Japan and its public would resort to accepting bribes. Johnson also fully understands the importance of Tanaka's role in resurrection of non-bureaucratic political system within a very strong and rather insulated bureaucracy.

Tanaka's case is unique not because of bribery involved but because it helps us understand just how much corruption has become a part of Japanese political system. In most cases, it usually goes unnoticed because public seems to accept it as a way politics work in Japan and there is not much that can be done against the bureaucracy that literally rules the country. With Tanaka, things however were different. Not only did his shady deal with Lockheed come to the limelight, what was more shocking was that he managed to emerge from this scandal without much damage to his popularity. This indicates one thing clearly: Tanaka was more than just a politician for the public. He was recognized for his various actions that had benefited the poor over the years. Tanaka had been one strong supporter of equality in all sections of society and all sectors of economy. He did not allow one sector to prosper on the expense of another. "Tanaka actually performed a vital function for the system, redistributing income from the rich sectors to the poor ones and ensuring that high speed growth did not benefit one group to the exclusion of others." (Johnson, p. 202). Thus Johnson illuminates some very important aspects of Tanaka's reign and the political system in Japan.

Junichiro Koizumi

Who was Junichiro Koizumi and what did his election and re-election as Prime Minister of Japan represent? Why did voters back him and why was the LDP -- his own party -- wary of him?

Junichiro Koizumi's victory in Japanese elections for prime minister came as a shock and surprise to many, including people of his own LDP party. The reason was simple. Koizumi enjoyed low support in his party and it became even greater surprise since many had predicted victory for former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto who had a strong power base within LDP. How did Koizumi win then is a question that many pondered? Koizumi who came from a family of politicians was seen as a maverick and a reformist. He was also young with different ideals than many LDP members. His victory in the elections was a direct result of his involvement with a process of introducing a more democratic system of choosing LDP president. The result of this process had a shocking impact on election results when Koizumi was elected against all odds.

Koizumi was an important figure in the eyes of many. He was seen as a reformist and actually took some daring actions in the wake of September 11 attacks too which showed that he was different and believed in a different kind of politics. However that did not sit very well with LDP powerful factions. It must be mentioned here that the reason for Koizumi's low support in LDP was because he was not a member of a powerful faction. LDP had lost its centralization long time ago and had since been divided into factions to which various influential members belonged. However Koizumi was not from any of these important factions. But surprisingly in the election for party president, Koizumi won by a wide margin- thus leaving the challengers far behind. (Shinoda)

While LDP had chosen him as the president of the party who later became the prime minster, many people with LDP were wary of him. This was because of some of the reforms that he introduced for corporations, for public spending, environmental protection and transportation sectors. Since powerful LDP members had vested interests in these sectors, they did not approve of all the reforms and hence were wary of Koizumi and his brand of politics.

Economic problems

The articles about Koizumi and Abe suggest that Japan suffers from serious economic problems that the political system cannot resolve. Why not? What are the political obstacles to changing Japanese politics? How does it relate to the Johnson reading?

Japan has had enormous economic success over the decades but lately its problems are negating the effects of earlier successes. I cannot agree with the opinion that economic problems cannot be solved through political means. Even though other factors do play in, it is the political system that determines the path economy will take. By political system, we mean the influential people in the system who can direct economy. They can definitely help direct Japan to the path of success again. However for that to happen, Japan will need to take a serious look at the causes of its economic decline. Johnson's work on Japan and Tanaka scandal showed that corruption is a major problem in the country because of its dependence on money. The government needs money to carry out major developmental projects and to facilitate economic activity but it may often find itself dependent on huge corporations as was the case with Tanaka. Since big corporations are a good source of money needed by the government, corruption is always likely. Japan needs to work on this problem. It has to find legitimate ways to earn income for its various projects and even if this involves corporations, the deals should be legal and transparent.

Another major problem is people's lack of concern for the economy. Japanese people are no longer interested in the stagnant economy because they have found private means of advancement. They know they can take good financial decisions for themselves and their families without having to worry about country's economy and hence this has aggravated the problem for Japan.

What do the Koizumi and Abe stories say about the state of democracy in Japan? Would you say that democracy in Japan is any weaker or stronger than it is in the U.S. Why or why not?