Ideological Construction of Environment and Its Relationship With Japanese Society, Culture, and Politics

Abstract

In this article, the Japanese “ideology” is critically examined and evaluated. While ideology very often is predominantly understood to cover political ideologies that the political parties and other political actors represent the more important ideology that is found in intersubjective practices is formed in everyday life and is rarely identified as ‘ideology' or politics. Japanese conservatism and nationalism are able to flourish under the cover of normalcy which social institutions support. To analyse the “ideology” of Japanese environmental thinking is far from being simple task as there is no orthodox dogma and the opinions of the elites is divided. Environmental thought and research are not particularly popular in contemporary Japan and there are, for instance, examples of universities that have scaled down their environmental studies programs. Instead, we should look to the whole society to see how much importance is given to the environment and how it is done. In fact, Japanese contemporary art and culture often register environmental concerns. However, in politics and administration there is less optimism on those concerns being resolved.