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Local Government in Japan
Author: Kurt Steiner
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Published: 1965
Total Pages: 588
ISBN-13: 9780804702171
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →A Stanford University Press classic.
Neighborhood Associations and Local Governance in Japan
Author: Robert J. Pekkanen
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-06-20
Total Pages: 317
ISBN-13: 1317754425
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Although local neighborhood associations are found in many countries, Japan’s are distinguished by their ubiquity, scope of activities, and very high participation rates, making them important for the study of society and politics. Most Japanese belong to one local neighborhood association or another, making them Japan’s most numerous civil society organization, and one that powerfully shapes governance outcomes in the country. And, they also often blur the state-society boundary, making them theoretically intriguing. Neighborhood Associations and Local Governance in Japan draws on a unique and novel body of empirical data derived from the first national survey of neighborhood associations carried out in 2007 and provides a multifaceted empirical portrait of Japan’s neighborhood associations. It examines how local associational structures affect the quality of local governance, and thus the quality of life for Japan’s citizens and residents, and illuminates the way in which these ambiguous associations can help us refine civil society theory and show how they contribute to governance. As well as outlining the key features of neighbourhood associations, the book goes on to examine in detail the way in which neighbourhood associations contribute to governance, in terms of social capital, networks with other community organizations, social service provision, cooperation with local governments and political participation. This book will be welcomed by students and scholars of Japanese politics, Japanese society, anthropology, urban studies as well as those interested in social capital and civil society.
Local Power in the Japanese State
Author: Michio Muramatsu
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Published: 2023-04-28
Total Pages: 208
ISBN-13: 0520315782
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1997.
Japan's Subnational Governments in International Affairs
Author: Purnendra Jain
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2006-03-13
Total Pages: 248
ISBN-13: 113431678X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This book moves away from the common belief that Japan’s international relations are firmly the preserve of the national government in Japan’s highly centralised political system. Examining examples of subnational governments (SNGs) across Japan the book uncovers a significant and generally unrecognised development in Japanese politics: SNGs are ever more dynamic international actors as national borders ‘weaken’ across the world. Exploring what Japanese SNGs do, where they do it, and why, the book considers the implications of these factors for Japan’s international relations and domestic politics. By bringing to light the scope and consequences of the international actions of Japan’s SNGs, this book provides a more accurate and nuanced understanding of the country's foreign policy, at a time when it is pursuing a broader and more active profile in international affairs.
Local Government Development in Post-war Japan
Author: Michio Muramatsu
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 2001
Total Pages: 280
ISBN-13: 9780199248285
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This book examines the evolution of intergovernmental relations in postwar Japan. These relations are shown to be both complex and dynamic, and the Japanese model is revealed as one in which aspects of both central control and local autonomy have co-existed with the balance shifting graduallyover time towards the latter. The Japanese system has helped to maintain broad-based economic growth since it has at its core a strongly egalitarian fiscal transfer mechanism. At the same time, it has proved to be consistent, to a much greater extent than previously recognized, with politicaldevelopment, or progress in the attainment of such political values as liberty (personal rights) and equality (broad participation in public affairs) for individuals and communities. This is because the national government has proved flexible enough to accommodate, although not always with grace oralacrity, citizen concerns about the quality of life. The Japanese approach to intergovernmental relationships has also been successful in solving coordination problems which often arise between local and central government units and in building capacity to support greater and effectivedecentralization. Coordination problems have been handled through a variety of mechanisms including the practice of agency delegated functions, while local capacity issues have been addressed through such practices as the exchange of personnel across different levels of government and the use ofattractive compensation and training packages to recruit and retain local staff. The Japanese experience thus provides an example of gradual and guided decentralization based on shared responsibilities between local and central governments for mobilizing, managing, and spending public resources inthe pursuit of sustainable development.
Local Politics and National Policy
Author: Ken Victor Leonard Hijino
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2017-04-28
Total Pages: 172
ISBN-13: 1317265629
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This book is about why and how central and local governments clash over important national policy decisions. Its empirical focus is on the local politics of Japan which has significantly shaped, and been shaped by, larger developments in national politics. The book argues that since the 1990s, changes in the national political arena, fiscal and administrative decentralization, as well as broader socio-economic developments have led to a decoupling of once closely integrated national and local party systems in Japan. Such decoupling has led to a breakdown of symbiotic relations between the centre and regions. In its place are increasing strains between national and local governments leading to greater intra-party conflict, inter-governmental conflicts, and more chief executives with agendas and resources increasingly autonomous of the national ruling party. Although being a book primarily focused on the Japanese case, the study seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of how local partisans shape national policy-making. The book theorizes and investigates how the degree of state centralization, vertical integration for party organizations, and partisan congruence in different levels of government affect inter-governmental relations. Japan’s experience is compared with Germany, Canada, and the UK to explore sources of multi-level policy conflict.
Japan's Road to Pluralism;Transforming Local Communities in the Global Era
Author: 古川俊一
Publisher:
Published: 2003-04
Total Pages: 196
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Profound changes are being hewn in Japanese communities, as historical precedents, proven models, established guidelines, and fixed rules are challenged and more appropriate alternatives sought. In this volume, seven sociologists show how fundamental structures have been undergoing change at the grassroots level in Japan because of decentralization and globalization. Citizen activism in local governance is growing, in response to new societal phenomena such as an increase in the foreign resident population and weakened local industries. Along with decentralization, many local authorities are promoting new measures to actively cope with the impact of globalization and to work with nongovernmental organizations and community businesses to meet the new needs of citizens. This volume chronicles the practical and incremental changes in community-level governance and how such change has redefined the duties of prefectures and local authorities--clearly pointing toward Japan's new road to pluralism. Contributors include Kanagawa Koji (Research Institute for Regional Policy, 21st Century Hyogo Project Association), Kashiwazaki Chikako (Department of Sociology, Sophia University), Nakamura Madoka (Center for Policy Research Information, National Institute for Research Advancement), Tamura Shigeru (Local Autonomy College, Ministry of Home Affairs), and Numao Ogura Namiko (College of Economics, Nihon University). Furukawa Shun'ichi is professor of policy and planning sciences at Tsukuba University. Menju Toshihiro is senior program officer at the Japan Center for International Exchange.
National Integration and Local Power in Japan
Author: Yasuo Takao
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2018-10-30
Total Pages: 259
ISBN-13: 0429820062
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →First published in 1999, this book offers a new study of local government in Japan. There is an enormous amount of information about Japanese local government that has not yet appeared in English. With the author’s local familiarity, elected local officials and local residents have been extraordinarily open and forthcoming. This allows a rethinking of the topic by mobilising a multitude of solid factual material. Japan has dealt with the dramatically increased public sector, but has done so in a setting of institutional centralisation. How has central authority sought to find ways of managing the continuous expansion of state activities? How have local authorities responded to central government’s initiative in integrating state administration? The answers the book gives to these questions present an alternative understanding of Japanese local government.
OECD Multi-level Governance Studies Multi-level Governance Reforms Overview of OECD Country Experiences
Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
Published: 2017-05-15
Total Pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9264272860
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This report provides an overview of “multi-level governance” reforms in OECD countries. It includes case studies on Finland, France, Italy, Japan and New Zealand.
