Loosening the Ties that Bind: Japan’s Agricultural Policy Triangle and Reform of Cooperatives (JA)

Abstract

The process of reforming the organization of agricultural cooperatives under the Abe Shinzō administration in 2013–15 reveals how Japan’s “agricultural policy triangle” still functions as a key element of government decision making. The triangle consists of members of the Liberal Democratic Party’s agricultural “tribe” in the Diet ( nōrin zoku ); bureaucrats from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and executives of the cooperatives. The article shows that while the triangle was important during the reform, the loyalties and links that had hitherto bound the parties in an “iron triangle” of vested interest in agricultural support and protection have eroded.