This report serves as a record of the third 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 third and final discussion covered the evolution of Japan’s civil society organizations, diversity and democracy in Japanese society, and the stability and independence of the Japanese media. Dr. Takaneka moderated the discussion with three other speakers including:
TOSHIKI ABE, Representative, Ridilover Incorporated Associaton
RIEKO KAGE, Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Science, University of Tokyo
KAORI HAYASHI, Professor, Media and Journalism Studies, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo
*To learn more about the project in Japanese please visit our Democracy for the Future Website.
