On Japanese-Style Neo-Corporatism: Era of a Tripartite “Honeymoon?”

Abstract

Throughout the 1970's and thereafter, especially the first oil crisis, it has remarkably emerged and firmly constructed the Japanese-style neo-corporatism: one of whose features is first supplementary macro-corporatism at the corporate level, secondly whose initiative was voluntarily taken by leaders of ‘encompassing’ unions affiliated with IMF-JC. thirdly the virtual collapse of traditional left-wing block between Sohyo and the Japan Socialist Party, fourthly the ‘mild’ neo-corporatism oriented towards neo-liberalism not a lesser degree, and fifthly the lack of tradition of social democracy in terms of taking office at the national level and so forth. Rengo established in 1989 is no doubt not only the symbol but also the driving force of Japanese-style neo-corporatism. and it has advocated the societal reform from ‘production-orientation to quality-of-life orientation.’ However, Rengo is faced with ‘sectoral clashes’ from within and suffering from the interest representation as well as its own political orientation.