History and Context of Public Administration in Japan

Abstract

The practice of public administration in Japan is characterized by the legality of rules, a search for “equilibrium” or consensus among different opinions, seniority in decision making, and government leadership by an elite class of bureaucrats and central government. The history of modern public administration in Japan begins in the late nineteenth century. A legal system with the constitution on top provides a foundation upon which any public governmental organization can act. Seniority has importance in Japanese society, but in the public bureaucracy it is more than just important. The end of World War II marked a turning point in the development of public administration in academia. The Japanese Society for Public Administration was organized in 1950, reflecting the growth of public administration as a discipline. Japan faces difficult issues, such as an aging and declining population, public debt, security, and so forth, as well as the economic financial crises of 2009 and ongoing political turmoil.