Japan Decides 2012

Matthew Carlson, University of Vermont, USA Ray Christensen, Brigham Young University, USA Masahisa Endo, Waseda University, JapanAxel Klein, University of Duisburg-Essen, GermanyPaul Midford, Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU)Aurelia George Mulgan, University of New South Wales, AustraliaSherry Martin Murphy, Washington DC based political scientist Kuniaki Nemoto, Waseda University, JapanBenjamin Nyblade, University of British Columbia, CanadaKay Shimizu, Columbia University, USADaniel M. Smith, Stanford University, USAMichael F. Thies, Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, UCLA, USAYves Tiberghien, University of British Columbia, CanadaRobert J. Weiner, Naval Postgraduate School, USA Christian G. Winkler, German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ), Japan Yuki Yanai, Department of Political Science at UCLA, a research associate at Waseda University, Japan

• Preface List of Abbreviations Contributor Bios Introduction 1. Introduction 2. Japanese Politics Between the 2009 and 2012 Elections 3. Keeping It Together: Party Unity and the 2012 Election; Ben Nyblade 4. The Japanese General Election of 2012: The LDP Wins Big by Default PART I: POLITICAL PARTIES 5. The LDP's Path Back to Power: The Liberal Democratic Party; Masahisa Endo 6. The Remains of the DPJ: The Democratic Party of Japan; Robert Weiner 7. Challenging the Two-Party System: Third Force Parties in the 2012 Election 8. Komeito - In Search of Independence; Axel Klein PART II: CAMPAIGNING, CANDIDATES, AND DISTRICTS 9. Candidate Recruitment for the 2012 Election: New Parties, New Methods... Same Old Faces?; Dan Smith 10. New Inter-Election Campaign Tools; Kuniaki Nemoto 11. Malapportionment and the 2012 Election; Ray Christensen 12. What the 2012 Lower House Elections Has to Say about Japan's Urban-Rural Divide; Kay Shimizu 13. Campaign Finance Irregularities, Sex Scandals and the Election; Matt Carlson 14. Women Candidates and Political Parties in Election 2012; Sherry Martin Murphy PART III: GOVERNANCE AND POLICY 15. Foreign Policy as an Election Issue; Paul Midford 16. Election Surprise: Abenomics and Central Bank Independence Trump Nationalism and Fukushima; Yves Tiberghien 17. Right Rising? Ideology and the 2012 House of Representatives Election; Chris Winkler 18. Farmers, Agricultural Policies and the Election; Aurelia George Mulgan 19. Governance with a Twist: How Bicameralism affects Japanese Lawmaking; Michael Thies and Yuki Yanai

The editors have assembled several distinguished political scientists to provide an exceptionally rigorous but highly readable account of the 2012 election and its implications. The coverage is comprehensive; the analysis incisive; the information revealing. A must for all who want to understand the direction in which Japanese politics is headed. James L. Newell, Professor of Politics, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, University of Salford, UK