Masahisa Endo, Lecturer at Faculty of Humanities and Economics, Kochi University, JapanAlisa Gaunder, Professor of Political Science, Southwestern University in Georgetown, TexasKen Victor Leonard Hijino, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University, JapanLlewelyn Hughes, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University (ANU) Fumi Ikeda, Chuo University, JapanKoji Kagotani, Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Osaka University of Economics, JapanSaori N. Katada, Associate Professor, School of International Relations and the Director of the Political Science and International Relations (POIR) Program, University of Southern California, USAJeff Kingston, Director of Asian Studies, Temple University, JapanAxel Klein, Professor of Modern East Asian Studies, University of Duisburg-Essen, GermanyEllis S. Krauss, Emeritus Professor, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California San Diego, USA Patricia L. Maclachlan, Associate Professor of Government and Asian Studies, University of Texas, USAYukio Maeda, Associate Professor, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, University of Tokyo, JapanDouglas M. Miller, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, USAKenneth Mori McElwain, Associate Professor, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, JapanGregory Noble, Professor of Politics and Public Administration, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, JapanRobert J. Pekkanen, Professor, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Sociology, University of Washington, USASteven R. Reed, Professor of Modern Government, Chuo University, JapanEthan Scheiner, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Davis, USAKay Shimizu, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, USA Daniel M. Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University, USA Michael F. Thies, Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Interdepartmental Programs for Global Studies and International & Area Studies, and past Director of the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, UCLA, USAScott Wilbur, Political Science and International Relations Program, University of Southern California, USAJoshua A. Williams, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, USA

• List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction: Take a Second Look at the 2014 Election, it's Worth it; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Ethan Scheiner 2. Japanese Politics Between the 2012 and 2014 Elections; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Daniel M. Smith 3. The 2014 Japanese Election Results: The Opposition Cooperates, but Fails to Inspire; Ethan Scheiner, Daniel M. Smith, Michael F. Thies PART II: POLITICAL PARTIES 4. LDP: Return to Dominance? Or a Golden Age Built on Sand?; Masahisa Endo and Robert J. Pekkanen 5. The Democratic Party of Japan: Surviving to Fight Another Day; Fumi Ikeda and Steven R. Reed 6. From Third Force to Third Party: Duverger's Revenge?; Robert J. Pekkanen and Steven R. Reed 7. Komeito - Rock 'n Row the Coalition Boat; Axel Klein PART III: CAMPAIGNING, CANDIDATES, DISTRICTS 8. The Abe Cabinet and Public Opinion - How Abe won re-election by narrowing public debate; Yukio Maeda 9. Did Abe's Coattails Help the LDP Win?; Kenneth Mori McElwain 10. Candidates in the 2014 Election: Better Coordination and Higher Candidate Quality; Daniel M. Smith 11. Women and the 2014 Lower House Election; Alisa Gaunder 12. Netizens Decide 2014? A Look at Party Campaigning Online; Joshua A. Williams and Douglas Miller PART IV: GOVERNANCE AND POLICY 13. Abenomics in the 2014 election: Showing the money (supply) and little else; Greg Noble 14. The Kantei vs. the LDP: Agricultural Reform, the Organized Vote, and the 2014 Election; Patricia L. Maclachlan and Kay Shimizu 15. Regional inequality in 2014: Urgent issue, tepid election; Ken Hijino 16. Abenomics and Japan's Energy Conundrum; Llewelyn Hughes 17. Nationalism and the 2014 Snap Election: the Abe Conundrum; Jeff Kingston 18. Unraveling the Abe Conundrum in Foreign Policy: The Mystery of the 'the Dog that Didn't Bark"; Ellis S. Krauss 19. The 2014 Election in Okinawa; Koji Kagotani 20. Japan's Stealth Decision 2014: The Trans-Pacific Partnership; Saori N. Katada and Scott Wilbur PART V: CONCLUSION 21. Conclusion: Japan's Bait and Switch Election 2014; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Ethan Scheiner Appendix: Table of Contents from Japan Decides 2012 Index

'The authors of this comprehensive analysis of the 2014 general election in Japan have produced one of the most important studies of Japanese electoral politics to appear in many years. It is essential reading for anyone - student, scholar and policy maker - interested not only in the 2014 election, but in Japan's political democracy and its future.' Gerald Curtis, Burgess Professor of Political Science, Columbia University, USA 'Japan Decides 2014 reveals how Prime Minister Abe caught the opposition flat-footed by calling an early election and succeeded in using his third-straight win at the polls to claim a mandate for policy changes that weren't even emphasized in the campaign. Anyone trying to understand where Japan is headed under Abe needs to read this book.' Leonard J. Schoppa, Associate Dean for the Social Sciences and Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, USA 'The 2014 election as Abe's 'masterful strategic stroke' ever heard such words about Japanese politics? This book's 21 concise, well written chapters dissect the causes and effects of the remarkable election from all angles. They add up to the best overview I know of Japanese politics today.' John Creighton Campbell, Project Researcher, Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo University, Japan, and Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Michigan, USA

Masahisa Endo, Lecturer at Faculty of Humanities and Economics, Kochi University, JapanAlisa Gaunder, Professor of Political Science, Southwestern University in Georgetown, TexasKen Victor Leonard Hijino, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University, JapanLlewelyn Hughes, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University (ANU) Fumi Ikeda, Chuo University, JapanKoji Kagotani, Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Osaka University of Economics, JapanSaori N. Katada, Associate Professor, School of International Relations and the Director of the Political Science and International Relations (POIR) Program, University of Southern California, USAJeff Kingston, Director of Asian Studies, Temple University, JapanAxel Klein, Professor of Modern East Asian Studies, University of Duisburg-Essen, GermanyEllis S. Krauss, Emeritus Professor, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California San Diego, USA Patricia L. Maclachlan, Associate Professor of Government and Asian Studies, University of Texas, USAYukio Maeda, Associate Professor, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, University of Tokyo, JapanDouglas M. Miller, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, USAKenneth Mori McElwain, Associate Professor, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, JapanGregory Noble, Professor of Politics and Public Administration, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, JapanRobert J. Pekkanen, Professor, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Sociology, University of Washington, USASteven R. Reed, Professor of Modern Government, Chuo University, JapanEthan Scheiner, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Davis, USAKay Shimizu, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, USA Daniel M. Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University, USA Michael F. Thies, Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Interdepartmental Programs for Global Studies and International & Area Studies, and past Director of the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, UCLA, USAScott Wilbur, Political Science and International Relations Program, University of Southern California, USAJoshua A. Williams, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, USA

• List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction: Take a Second Look at the 2014 Election, it's Worth it; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Ethan Scheiner 2. Japanese Politics Between the 2012 and 2014 Elections; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Daniel M. Smith 3. The 2014 Japanese Election Results: The Opposition Cooperates, but Fails to Inspire; Ethan Scheiner, Daniel M. Smith, Michael F. Thies PART II: POLITICAL PARTIES 4. LDP: Return to Dominance? Or a Golden Age Built on Sand?; Masahisa Endo and Robert J. Pekkanen 5. The Democratic Party of Japan: Surviving to Fight Another Day; Fumi Ikeda and Steven R. Reed 6. From Third Force to Third Party: Duverger's Revenge?; Robert J. Pekkanen and Steven R. Reed 7. Komeito - Rock 'n Row the Coalition Boat; Axel Klein PART III: CAMPAIGNING, CANDIDATES, DISTRICTS 8. The Abe Cabinet and Public Opinion - How Abe won re-election by narrowing public debate; Yukio Maeda 9. Did Abe's Coattails Help the LDP Win?; Kenneth Mori McElwain 10. Candidates in the 2014 Election: Better Coordination and Higher Candidate Quality; Daniel M. Smith 11. Women and the 2014 Lower House Election; Alisa Gaunder 12. Netizens Decide 2014? A Look at Party Campaigning Online; Joshua A. Williams and Douglas Miller PART IV: GOVERNANCE AND POLICY 13. Abenomics in the 2014 election: Showing the money (supply) and little else; Greg Noble 14. The Kantei vs. the LDP: Agricultural Reform, the Organized Vote, and the 2014 Election; Patricia L. Maclachlan and Kay Shimizu 15. Regional inequality in 2014: Urgent issue, tepid election; Ken Hijino 16. Abenomics and Japan's Energy Conundrum; Llewelyn Hughes 17. Nationalism and the 2014 Snap Election: the Abe Conundrum; Jeff Kingston 18. Unraveling the Abe Conundrum in Foreign Policy: The Mystery of the 'the Dog that Didn't Bark"; Ellis S. Krauss 19. The 2014 Election in Okinawa; Koji Kagotani 20. Japan's Stealth Decision 2014: The Trans-Pacific Partnership; Saori N. Katada and Scott Wilbur PART V: CONCLUSION 21. Conclusion: Japan's Bait and Switch Election 2014; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Ethan Scheiner Appendix: Table of Contents from Japan Decides 2012 Index

'The authors of this comprehensive analysis of the 2014 general election in Japan have produced one of the most important studies of Japanese electoral politics to appear in many years. It is essential reading for anyone - student, scholar and policy maker - interested not only in the 2014 election, but in Japan's political democracy and its future.' Gerald Curtis, Burgess Professor of Political Science, Columbia University, USA 'Japan Decides 2014 reveals how Prime Minister Abe caught the opposition flat-footed by calling an early election and succeeded in using his third-straight win at the polls to claim a mandate for policy changes that weren't even emphasized in the campaign. Anyone trying to understand where Japan is headed under Abe needs to read this book.' Leonard J. Schoppa, Associate Dean for the Social Sciences and Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, USA 'The 2014 election as Abe's 'masterful strategic stroke' ever heard such words about Japanese politics? This book's 21 concise, well written chapters dissect the causes and effects of the remarkable election from all angles. They add up to the best overview I know of Japanese politics today.' John Creighton Campbell, Project Researcher, Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo University, Japan, and Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Michigan, USA

Masahisa Endo, Lecturer at Faculty of Humanities and Economics, Kochi University, JapanAlisa Gaunder, Professor of Political Science, Southwestern University in Georgetown, TexasKen Victor Leonard Hijino, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University, JapanLlewelyn Hughes, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University (ANU) Fumi Ikeda, Chuo University, JapanKoji Kagotani, Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Osaka University of Economics, JapanSaori N. Katada, Associate Professor, School of International Relations and the Director of the Political Science and International Relations (POIR) Program, University of Southern California, USAJeff Kingston, Director of Asian Studies, Temple University, JapanAxel Klein, Professor of Modern East Asian Studies, University of Duisburg-Essen, GermanyEllis S. Krauss, Emeritus Professor, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California San Diego, USA Patricia L. Maclachlan, Associate Professor of Government and Asian Studies, University of Texas, USAYukio Maeda, Associate Professor, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, University of Tokyo, JapanDouglas M. Miller, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, USAKenneth Mori McElwain, Associate Professor, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, JapanGregory Noble, Professor of Politics and Public Administration, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, JapanRobert J. Pekkanen, Professor, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Sociology, University of Washington, USASteven R. Reed, Professor of Modern Government, Chuo University, JapanEthan Scheiner, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Davis, USAKay Shimizu, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, USA Daniel M. Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University, USA Michael F. Thies, Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Interdepartmental Programs for Global Studies and International & Area Studies, and past Director of the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, UCLA, USAScott Wilbur, Political Science and International Relations Program, University of Southern California, USAJoshua A. Williams, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, USA

• List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction: Take a Second Look at the 2014 Election, it's Worth it; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Ethan Scheiner 2. Japanese Politics Between the 2012 and 2014 Elections; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Daniel M. Smith 3. The 2014 Japanese Election Results: The Opposition Cooperates, but Fails to Inspire; Ethan Scheiner, Daniel M. Smith, Michael F. Thies PART II: POLITICAL PARTIES 4. LDP: Return to Dominance? Or a Golden Age Built on Sand?; Masahisa Endo and Robert J. Pekkanen 5. The Democratic Party of Japan: Surviving to Fight Another Day; Fumi Ikeda and Steven R. Reed 6. From Third Force to Third Party: Duverger's Revenge?; Robert J. Pekkanen and Steven R. Reed 7. Komeito - Rock 'n Row the Coalition Boat; Axel Klein PART III: CAMPAIGNING, CANDIDATES, DISTRICTS 8. The Abe Cabinet and Public Opinion - How Abe won re-election by narrowing public debate; Yukio Maeda 9. Did Abe's Coattails Help the LDP Win?; Kenneth Mori McElwain 10. Candidates in the 2014 Election: Better Coordination and Higher Candidate Quality; Daniel M. Smith 11. Women and the 2014 Lower House Election; Alisa Gaunder 12. Netizens Decide 2014? A Look at Party Campaigning Online; Joshua A. Williams and Douglas Miller PART IV: GOVERNANCE AND POLICY 13. Abenomics in the 2014 election: Showing the money (supply) and little else; Greg Noble 14. The Kantei vs. the LDP: Agricultural Reform, the Organized Vote, and the 2014 Election; Patricia L. Maclachlan and Kay Shimizu 15. Regional inequality in 2014: Urgent issue, tepid election; Ken Hijino 16. Abenomics and Japan's Energy Conundrum; Llewelyn Hughes 17. Nationalism and the 2014 Snap Election: the Abe Conundrum; Jeff Kingston 18. Unraveling the Abe Conundrum in Foreign Policy: The Mystery of the 'the Dog that Didn't Bark"; Ellis S. Krauss 19. The 2014 Election in Okinawa; Koji Kagotani 20. Japan's Stealth Decision 2014: The Trans-Pacific Partnership; Saori N. Katada and Scott Wilbur PART V: CONCLUSION 21. Conclusion: Japan's Bait and Switch Election 2014; Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven R. Reed, and Ethan Scheiner Appendix: Table of Contents from Japan Decides 2012 Index

'The authors of this comprehensive analysis of the 2014 general election in Japan have produced one of the most important studies of Japanese electoral politics to appear in many years. It is essential reading for anyone - student, scholar and policy maker - interested not only in the 2014 election, but in Japan's political democracy and its future.' Gerald Curtis, Burgess Professor of Political Science, Columbia University, USA 'Japan Decides 2014 reveals how Prime Minister Abe caught the opposition flat-footed by calling an early election and succeeded in using his third-straight win at the polls to claim a mandate for policy changes that weren't even emphasized in the campaign. Anyone trying to understand where Japan is headed under Abe needs to read this book.' Leonard J. Schoppa, Associate Dean for the Social Sciences and Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, USA 'The 2014 election as Abe's 'masterful strategic stroke' ever heard such words about Japanese politics? This book's 21 concise, well written chapters dissect the causes and effects of the remarkable election from all angles. They add up to the best overview I know of Japanese politics today.' John Creighton Campbell, Project Researcher, Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo University, Japan, and Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Michigan, USA