Depoliticization and the changing boundaries of governance in Japan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Explaining the transformation of the state and the dynamics of democratic governance is a focal topic of scholarship. A key component is depoliticization research, which considers depoliticization to be the key element in the logic of delegation among many polities, and uses it as an analytical tool to examine the nature of ‘anti-politics,’ particularly within liberal democracies. Despite this, it has not been used to explain political change in Japan, an enormous industrial power and liberal democracy. This article redresses the issue by incorporating the country’s international relations into the analysis. By employing a multi-level analysis of depoliticization in Japan, the article builds abridge between both research fields, depoliticization research and international relations theory, and contributes an innovate approach to depoliticization which provides a means to implement a deeper policy analysis and interpretation of the changes in Japanese governance and beyond.