Politics and Diplomacy in Japan
Deal specific issue which you would like to make a research.
How much do we understand about the country we live in? In my interactions with political scientists and scholars of Japan from around the world, I am often asked, "Why is Japan's politics so stable while the rest of the world is facing democratic difficulties? After the "lost 20 years" since 1993, and the two governmental changes in 2009 and 2012, the shape of Japanese politics has changed dramatically. However, there are still many challenges. It can be said that there is a need to understand and communicate this intrinsically. What can we learn from Japanese politics, how can we change it, and how can we communicate it to the world?
When we think about the state of Japanese politics and diplomacy (modern and contemporary) in this way, we naturally need to have a basic knowledge and understanding of its structure. However, how much of this intellectual foundation is shared? If the necessary foundations are neglected, all the hard work that has gone into the creation process may be lost. It goes without saying that it is necessary to acquire a foothold and stance to think and judge for oneself, rather than using borrowed understanding and convenient data.
Therefore, this seminar will take Japanese politics and diplomacy as its subject, with the goal of systematically understanding the structure of the problems that appear in it. We will use excellent texts in political science and history as a starting point for discussions on the background, institutions, and personalities, in order to gain a foundation for our own thinking. Students will then engage in a series of exercises to analyze and communicate their findings based on a systematic understanding, and refine their ability to think and discuss Japanese politics and diplomacy in your own words.