Critical Review of the Abe Administration

The second Abe administration, which lasted for seven years and eight months, turned out to be the longest administration in Japan's constitutional history. What factors contributed to its remarkable longevity? What accomplishments and enduring legacies did this administration achieve during its tenure? Originally published in Bungeishunju in Japanese, this book examines policies pursued by the administration and its governance based on over 50 investigative interviews with key figures in the administration, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The contributors cover nine major policies, including economic policy, diplomacy and security, work style reform, trade liberalization, and historical issues, and explore why a specific policy was chosen at that time, who made that decision, and on what grounds. Reviewing such decision-making processes sheds light on the issue of governance. Consequently, this book also analyses the administration's distinctive style of governance, such as strong leadership from the Prime Minister's Office, ability to navigate party politics, and overwhelming victories in national elections. An essential for scholars and students in the fields of public administration, public policy, Japanese studies, and Asian Studies.

Yoichi Funabashi is Distinguished Journalist-in-Residence and Chairman of the Global Council at the International House of Japan. Koji Nakakita is Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Law, Chuo University, Japan.

Contents List of figures List of tables List of contributors Acknowledgements YOICHI FUNABASHI Foreword YOICHI FUNABASHI Introduction: What made Abe's long and stable administration possible? KOJI NAKAKITA Chapter 1. Abenomics: Putting the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Japan under the prime minister's control KOJI NAKAKITA Chapter 2. Elections and public relations campaigns: Winning over the younger generation in a "silent revolution" SHIRO SAKAIYA Chapter 3. The Prime Minister's Office in charge: The conditions that enabled strong and stable leadership KOJI NAKAKITA Chapter 4. Foreign and security policy: The pursuit of strategy KEN JIMBO Chapter 5. Politics on TPP and CPTPP: Turning Japan into one of the world's major free trade powers TAKASHI TERADA Chapter 6. History issues: A consistently realist approach NAOKO KUMAGAI Chapter 7. Governance of the ruling parties: The pervasive control of the prime minister HARUKATA TAKENAKA Chapter 8. Skillful agenda-setting for women's policy YUKI TSUJI Chapter 9. Constitutional revision-Why it failed KENNETH MORI MCELWAIN List of interviewees List of Ministers and key government officials List of key LDP officials Chronology Index