Japanese Research

Administrative Reforms and Changes of the Ruling System of the Liberal Democratic Party

XU Wansheng

2018, 32(3): 1-9. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.001

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In Japan, administrative reforms and changes of the ruling system of the Liberal Democratic Party are closely related. Within the LDP where the process of administrative reforms are intertwined with changes of its power structure, different personal performances of politicians usually lead to changes of their status and power, and in the early years of the 21st century the postal privatization reform has resulted in the rise and fall of each factional force. From the perspective of the process of decisionmaking, administrative reforms have continuously advanced the institutionalization of the mode of decision making characterized by the domination of prime minister, but their effectiveness has been affected by various factors. The impact of administrative reforms on the social support base of the Liberal Democratic Party is complex. In the face of an increasingly diversified civil society, it is difficult for the LDP regime to solidify its social support base through administrative reforms.

On the Centralization of Liberal Democratic Party of Japan

ZHANG Boyu

2018, 32(3): 10-24. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.002

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Since the 1990s, Japans two major political system reforms, which have continued intermittently and are still on its extended line, have promoted the transformation of Japans political system and changes in the political environment, and also promoted the centralization of the Liberal Democratic Party. In the Liberal Democratic Party, the function of the informal organizations represented by factionalism has weakened, the importance of the executive department centered on the president has increased, and the power has concentrated on the executive department centered on the president. In the actual political operation, the two major institutional effects of the political system reforms, namely the expansion of the power of the Prime Minister and the concentration of the Liberal Democratic Party presidents power, interacted and influenced each other, leading to the phenomenon of “prime ministerial dominance”. The emergence of “Abe Strong One” is a symbol of the maturity of the Liberal Democratic Partys centralization. The power of the powerful prime minister (president) still has no effective control over the Senate. Different institutional arrangements, such as the election system of the House of Representatives, the term of office of parliamentarians, and the legal authority conferred on it by the Constitution, make the Senate highly independent. At the same time, the Liberal Democratic Party is indispensable for the joint control of the Komeito Party in the Senate as long as it does not control the majority of seats in the Senate alone. The prime minister is required to cooperate with the Liberal Democratic Party, which must joint to pass bill with the Komeito party in the Senate. The Senate has become the “Achilles’ heel” of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Transformation and Internal Reformation of Liberal Democratic Party

WANG Pengfei

2018, 32(3): 25-34. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.003

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For more than 63 years since its establishment, the Liberal Democratic Party has been deeply rooted in history and has always been at the center of Japanese politics. At any time during the ruling crisis, the party can always be transformed with the trend. According to the partys organizational classification, the transformation of LDP has experienced three phases: the elite party, the transformation of the Mass party, and the evolution of the Cartel party. In the early days of its founding, the LDP took the initiative to carry out the modernization movement to change the characteristics of elite parties. After the Cold War, in view of the decline of the Socialist Party, the LDP gave up the transition to Mass party and attempted to evolve into the Carteltype party. After Junichiro Koizumis cabinet, the LDP suffered many setbacks in the transformation of political parties and ended up returning to the local area to explore new patterns.

An Examination of Calendar Reform in Meiji Japan

Xu Mei

2018, 32(3): 35-43. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.004

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The importance of improving the diplomatic，economic and trade relations between China and Japan is highlighted in the context of increasing geopolitical risks, the strengthening of trade protection in the United States, Chinas promotion of a new pattern of opening up in an allround way, and Japans active promotion of domestic structural reforms. SinoJapanese relations showed signs of improvement in the spring of 2017, and bilateral trade, Japans direct investment in China，and financial cooperation showed a stabilization trend which had been slumping for several years after the Diaoyu Islands incident, and the attitude of Japanese government toward the“One Belt and One Road” initiative has undergone a positive change. The economic and trade relations between China and Japan are facing new development opportunities，and the breadth and depth of their cooperation in the future will be further expanded.

ChinaJapan Financial Cooperation: Processes, Obstacles and Prospects

LIU Rui

2018, 32(3): 44-53. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.005

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Since the normalization of SinoJapanese diplomatic relations, ChinaJapan financial cooperation lagged behind trade, investment, and industrial cooperation. No substantial breakthrough in the joint promotion of the Asian financial integration process and the bilateral financial cooperation between China and Japan has been made. The reason why ChinaJapan financial cooperation is hindered lies in the common defects in the Asian region represented by China and Japan. It also lies in the existing obstacles between the two countries, such as the dependence on the US dollar system, inadequate institutional function of the cooperation platform, and lack of political mutual trust. With the new changes in the international political and economic situation, ChinaJapan financial cooperation faces new opportunities. While promoting multilateral financial cooperation, the two countries will use the “One Belt and One Road” as a platform to strengthen the ChinaJapan financial cooperation mechanism and broaden the modality for cooperation to achieve a winwin situation.

An Analysis of Japans Direct Investment in China and Its Impact on Chinese Economic Development

TIAN Zheng

2018, 32(3): 54-64. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.006

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Japans direct investment in China has played an important role in promoting Chinas economic development. Japans direct investment in China can be divided into three phases: full startup, deepening of cooperation, and adjustment and transformation. It is mainly focused on the manufacturing sector and on the eastern coastal areas. Through an analysis of international economic theories, using the empirical method of regARMA combination model and Granger causality test, we found that Japans direct investment in China had the following effects on Chinese economy: (1) promoting Chinese industrial upgrading, (2) pushing the development of SinoJapanese trade, and (3) generating a technology spillover effect in China which improved the technology level of China. China should strengthen its efforts to guide Japans direct investment in China and enhance the quality of Japans direct investment in China, so as to contribute to the restructuring of Chinese economy.

The Change of Japanese Ocean Thought since 1990s

CHEN Xiuwu

2018, 32(3): 65-72. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.007

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After the postwar Japans maritime thought experienced a change from “recognizing the attributes of marine resources” to “recognizing peoples various marine activity systems”, it changed again in the 1990s. Starting with the “Ocean Civilization” initiated by Japanese scholars, relying on the “Marine National Seminar” activities organized by the government think tank and their policy proposals, and legally protected by the states “Ocean Basic Law” and “Basic Plan on Ocean Policy”, the thought ultimately rose to become“New Ocean National Strategy”. This process showed the characteristics of hierarchical ascending. At the same time, Japan has taken a step advancing to the road of being a subordinate or subsidiary “Sea Empire” that is backed by the JapanUS alliance.

Hara Takasis Diplomatic Conception of JapanUS Coordination

CHEN Wei

2018, 32(3): 73-80. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2018.03.008

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Based on the theories of “Trend of the Times” and “Power”, Hara Takasi formed his view of the US after his visit, which had an important impact on his understanding of the JapanUS relations. Based on his understanding of the United States, he pointed out that special emphasis should be placed on the relationship between Japan and the United States in external relations. In response to the deterioration of JapanUS relations following the JapaneseRussian war, Hara Takasi emphasized the need to ease JapanUS relations. He thought that Japanese Manchurian policy must consider the important influence of US. During World War I, he explained his ideas further and emphasized that JapanUS relations should be close and the war between them should be avoided in order to deal with China. The premise of his diplomatic conception of JapanUS coordination was that US should recognize Japans special status and its traditional rights in China, especially the socalled Manchuria rights. This diplomatic conception was the basis of Japans foreign policy during Hara Takasi cabinet and the core of it was Japans national interests.

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