This report serves as a record of the first discussion for “Japan’s Democracy: Lessons and Reflections,” a project conducted in 2021–2022 as part of JCIE’s Expanding Support for Democratic Governance program. The project provided a platform for Japanese scholars, political and opinion leaders, and the broader Japanese public to reflect on Japan’s own experience in building a democratic society post-WWII, examine the resilience of the elements that support democratic governance in Japan today, and identify possible ways to strengthen it further into the future. JCIE organized a series of three discussions to conduct this reassessment with Japanese scholars and policymakers in partnership with Dr. Harukata Takenaka, professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), who is a leading Japanese scholar on the study of democracy.
The first discussion explored the strengths of Japan’s democracy and ways to further strengthen it. Dr. Takaneka moderated the discussion with three other speakers including:
KENNETH MORI MCELWAIN, Professor, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo
KENSUKE TAKAYASU, Professor of the Faculty of Law and Director of Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, Seikei University
NAOKO TANIGUCHI, Professor, Graduate School of System Design and Management, Keio University
*To learn more about the project in Japanese please visit our Democracy for the Future Website.
