Postwar Japanese Political History: From the Occupation Period to the "Neo-1955 System"

Spanning eight decades of postwar Japanese politics, battles from security disputes to structural reforms have invariably revolved around constitutional issues. Faced with the unamended Constitution of Japan, the clash between ruling and opposition parties is essentially a strategic game for power within a fixed framework.

Analyzing regime shifts and institutional changes, this book sets its baseline with the Showa-era Allied occupation and the "Yoshida Doctrine," deconstructing the LDP's economic-focused "1955 System." It then explores how the Gulf Crisis and the Heisei bubble burst triggered clashes over defense policy and electoral reform, leading to two decades of political experimentation since the 1990s, culminating in the Reiwa "Neo-1955 System."

Moving beyond ideological dualism, the author reveals the decision-making dilemmas of successive cabinets, allowing readers to grasp the macro-narrative and precisely understand contemporary Japanese politics.