Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.
Despite growing international interest in the position and power of the Japanese prime minister, there is little existing research on what happens after these figures leave office. Examining both pre-war and post-war Japan, this book investigates what Japanese prime ministers have done after stepping down and what influence they have continued to exert.
Based on research in English and Japanese including biographies, memoirs and interviews, the book examines the specific activities former prime ministers engage in, assessing their motivations and the effect of informal politics in Japan on their successes and failures. Ultimately, the book answers the simple but often unanswered question of where are they now and writes the unwritten post-resignation biographies of Japans prime ministers.
Arvustused
A fascinating analysis of an overlooked topic that provides rich context on Japanese politics and the lives of former leaders. Jeff Kingston, Temple University Japan A genuinely comparative perspective on modern Japans former prime ministers that demonstrates the ongoing political importance of informal actors. Janet Hunter, Saji Emeritus Professor of Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science and former co-editor of The Journal of Japanese Studies
1. Introduction
2. Former Leaders, Informal Politics and the Japanese Prime Minister
3. Former Japanese Prime Ministers, the Meiji Period to World War Two
4. Former Japanese Prime Ministers, 1945 to 1989
5. Former Japanese Prime Ministers, 1989 Onwards
6. Analysis and Conclusions
Hugo Dobson is Professor of Japans International Relations at the School of Languages, Arts and Societies, University of Sheffield.
Karin Narita is Research Associate in Japanese Politics and International Relations at the School of Languages, Arts and Societies, University of Sheffield.
Caroline Rose is Emeritus Professor of Sino-Japanese Relations at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds.
