A Research on the Japanese Politics in Japan in the Post-War Era: from the Ideology to the Positivism

This study aims to identify the strengths and limits for the academic development of the Japan studies in Japan through analyzing the changes in the theoretical approaches toward the Japanese politics in the post-war era. The subject of the analysis is specified to the works that have influenced the formation of the Japanese political theories in Japan. The results indicate that the studies on the Japanese politics begin with Maruyama Masao and have changed from the state-dominant model to the Japanese Pluralist model and eventually to the New Institutionalism. First of all, the Maruyamas analytical methodology tends to make an academic overview of historical, ideological, psychological and ethnical factors. This methodology became popularly used in the analysis of the modern history and culture of Japan. However, it has a propensity to fall into descriptive political critiques and political essays in analyzing the current issues. Following the Maruyama"s tradition, the stream of critiques toward the backwardness of the politics is followed by state-dominant model after 1950s. The state-dominant model has dominated in describing the Japanese politics due to its critical analysis on the reappearance of the conservative power in 1950s. In 1980s, a new thinking of the Japanese Pluralist model has emerged by applying a western framework against the existing state-dominant model. In contrast to emphasizing the critical aspects of the reappearing conservatives, the Japanese Pluralism e state-dominant model explains the changes in the Japanese politics along with the economic transformation. Nevertheless, the research focusing on the dichotomy of the Japanese Pluralist model and its peculiarities is originated from the introduction of the American New Institutionalism. The New Institutionalism is characterized into two separate theoretical approaches, the historical Institutionalism and the rational choice theory. The research methodology on the Japanese politics in Japan has changed from emphasizing critical analysis on the ideology to the positivism