Age of eligibility to run for election in Japan: a barrier to political careers?

Masato Kamikubo

doi:10.1080/24761028.2019.1630052

Abstract

ABSTRACTRecently, students’ political movements are emerging in the world. In countries other than Japan, students often play important roles as political actors. On the other hand, in Japan student movements are failed, and it is often argued that the reason lies in young people’s low political awareness. However, this article argues that the political awareness of young people in Japan is not low, and that the problem lies in the difficulty of access to politics for the young. This article investigates student movements around the world focusing on age of eligibility to run for election. In countries and regions where university students reach the age of eligibility to run for election during their school years, student movements to develop into political parties, and core members can become politicians while they are still university students. On the other hand, in Japan, the late age of eligibility to run for election means that students cannot enter politics during their time in university. In addition, given the Japanese traditional employment system, there is a significant risk involved in stopping regular employment to become a politician, which is not permanent employment, as it is dependent on election results. Thus, Japanese university students who are interested in politics are less likely to sustain that interest and become politicians after graduating from university.

Highlights

In Japan, student movements are usually discussed in connection with the political awareness of young adults
In Japan student movements are failed, and it is often argued that the reason lies in young people’s low political awareness
In countries and regions where university students reach the age of eligibility to run for election during their school years, student movements to develop into political parties, and core members can become politicians while they are still university students

Summary

Introduction

In Japan, student movements are usually discussed in connection with the political awareness of young adults. It is often argued that the lack of success of Japanese student movements is the result of low political awareness among the young.1 It appears that the age of eligibility to run for election is a factor. It is argued here that the disparity in maturity among student movements is largely the result of the relatively late age of eligibility to run for election in Japan, along with Japan’s unique labor system characterized by mass employment of new graduates, seniority rules and lifelong employment. In countries and regions where university students reach the age of eligibility to run for election during their school years, politically inclined youth, such as core members of student movements, can become politicians while they are still university students, and can gradually evolve from political movement activists to politicians.

Political actions by students and student movements

The UK’s National Union of students

Scholarism in Hong Kong

Japanese student movements: active opposition to the Japan-US security treaty

Scholarism becomes a political party while SEALDs is dissolved

Distinctive Japanese employment system

Conclusion

Findings

Notes on contributor