Japanese Research

The “Pendulum” Phenomenon in Japanese Politics

LIAN Degui, WANG Huihui

2026, 40(2): 1-12. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2026.02.001

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Japanese politics is generally characterized by the long-term rule of the Liberal Democratic Party(LDP), with rare occurrences of governmental power shifts between political parties. However, due to the presence of different factions within the LDP, power shifts among these factions also constitute a form of governmental change. Since various parties hold distinct political ideologies, these ideologies often lead to policy fluctuations during power shifts. Consequently, both governmental power shifts and policy changes can trigger a “pendulum” phenomenon in politics. Specifically, in the parliamentary politics of Japan, the ruling party and the opposition parties exhibit a swing from “one-party dominance” to “ruling coalition”, and then back to “one party dominance” through the “two major parties”. Within the LDP’s political landscape, this is manifested as a shift in dominance between the party‘s conservative right-wing and conservative liberal factions, presenting a “pendulum” phenomenon. The current cabinet led by Prime Minister SnaeTakayichi has also demonstrated a shift from conservative liberal dominance to conservative right-wing dominance, thereby causing Japanese parliamentary politics to once again exhibit the “one-party dominance” phenomenon, characterized by a “pendulum” phenomenon.

Construction and Evaluation of the Earthquake Disaster Prevention System for the Nankai Trough in Japan

LI Nan

2026, 40(2): 13-28. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2026.02.002

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The Nankai Trough, as a region prone to frequent seismic activity, poses a significant threat to surrounding areas. In response, Japanese government has established a relatively perfect earthquake disaster prevention system from the aspects of earthquake disaster prevention law, organization system, disaster prevention and mitigation measures, disaster prevention education and training, and disaster monitoring and information sharing.On this basis, Japanese government has formulated the “Basic Plan for Promoting Countermeasures against Nankai Trough Earthquakes” and a contingency plan based on “timeline”. By establishing a multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism for disaster response, resources from all parties are effectively integrated and the layout of the disaster prevention system is optimized to address the risks posed by large-scale seismic disasters. An analysis of the formulation and implementation status of the “Basic Plan for Promoting Disaster Prevention Measures against Nankai Trough Earthquakes” reveals that through the aforementioned initiatives, Japan’s capacity to respond to Nankai Trough earthquakes has been further enhanced, effectively improving the overall effectiveness of disaster prevention and mitigation.

Research on the Transformation of Marriage Patterns in Japan After World WarⅡ

CAO Youshun, HU Peng

2026, 40(2): 29-41. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2026.02.003

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Japan‘s marriage patterns have undergone two major transformations After World WarⅡ. The first transition began in the early 1970s, shifting from “early and universal marriage” to “late but still universal marriage”. The second emerged after the 1990s, as “late but universal marriage” further evolved toward “late marriage and non-marriage”. As an East Asian country, Japan traditionally places strong emphasis on marriage and family. After entering the stage of “late marriage and non-marriage”, Japan’s marital and fertility behaviors have displayed distinct characteristics compared to Western countries: a stronger stated desire for marriage, a higher proportion of “parasite singles”, and a lower rate of childbearing outside marriage. In contemporary Japanese society, marriage remains the prerequisite for family formation, and the family continues to serve as the fundamental unit of society. The “late marriage and non-marriage” pattern has brought about a series of social issues in Japan, not only exacerbating the low fertility rate but also increasing the burden of social elderly care and deepening the phenomenon of social disconnectedness. Currently, China‘s marriage pattern is transitioning from “early and universal marriage” to “late but universal marriage”. Against this backdrop, studying Japans marital transformation offers valuable insights and reference for understanding the ongoing changes in marriage patterns in China.

Breaking the Dilemma of “Low Desire”:Changes in the Consumption Behavior of Japanese Youth and Educational Response Strategies

TAN Jianchuan

2026, 40(2): 42-53. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2026.02.004

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In the context of a “low-desire society”, Japanese youth’s consumption behavior has exhibited a complex evolution that deviates from traditional economic growth logic, with its core trend summarized as a shift from “expansionary” to “conservative”. To address changes in youth consumption behavior and boost consumer confidence, the Japanese government has implemented a series of measures in education in recent years, such as promoting career planning education, implementing free education systems, strengthening consumer education, and reforming vocational education systems. While these measures have achieved certain results, they also face numerous challenges, urgently requiring the Japanese government to promote deeper socio-economic institutional reforms.

The Strategic Response and Action Path of Japan‘s Children’s Policy in the Process of Low Birth Rate: Reflection and Prospect Based on Children‘s Future Action 2025

LI Kai, WANG Guoxu

2026, 40(2): 54-66. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2026.02.005

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The problem of declining birth rate is a prominent issue in Japanese society, which has been elevated to a strategic level of shaking the foundation of social survival. The Japanese government has conducted long-term exploration from the perspectives of policy design and education reform to cope with this population crisis. This study uses historical research and policy analysis methods to sort out the policy evolution trajectory of Japan‘s response to the problem of low birth rate, and systematically analyzes its triple logic from institutional construction, conceptual transformation to practical path. Therefore, it points out the policy changes of Japan in resolving the crisis of low birth rate at the level of education policy. Research has found that in the era of declining birth rate, Japan‘s children’s policies emphasize the adoption of innovative measures and the comprehensive construction of a child growth guarantee system. At the top-level design level, support is provided from multiple dimensions such as economic support, social environment optimization, talent cultivation, and family development. At the content level, it emphasizes the reconstruction of cognition, concepts, content, and guarantees, and thus constructs a new collaborative education ecosystem for high-quality development of children.

Creative Writing Education in Japanese Universities: From Practice Patterns and Conceptual Roots to Discursive Co-construction

ZOU Qian

2026, 40(2): 67-80. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2026.02.006

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Creative writing, as a modern Western disciplinary paradigm, exhibits distinct endogenous and transformative characteristics when adapted to the Japanese context. Japanese universities have not pursued a singular path of disciplinary specialization but instead integrated it into existing literary traditions and disciplinary reform processes, achieving a profound fusion of foreign methodologies(workshops)and indigenous traditions(literary and artistic creation). In practical terms, three modes have emerged: aesthetic endogenous, cross-disciplinary conceptualization, and social collaboration, respectively embodying an aesthetic tradition centered on “life practice”, creativity development oriented toward “cultural conceptualization”, and an open writing perspective within the globalized context. Such a gradual localization pathway not only shows the characteristics of the Japanese model, but also provides a comparative point of view for how creative writing can be developed in non-English contexts. Through a comparison of the developmental paths and practical challenges faced by creative writing education in China and Japan, similarities can be identified between the two countries in terms of collaborative mechanisms, curriculum systems, and disciplinary evaluation. Universities in China and Japan may explore pathways for coordinated development by promoting regular practical cooperation, cross-media curriculum development, and academic exchange mechanisms. By jointly exploring the aesthetic resources of East Asian narratives, they can advance the construction of localized paradigms for creative writing education in non-English contexts, and foster the discursive co-construction and the enhancement of international expressive capacity in East Asian creative writing education.

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