Stanford University

Japan's Quiet Revolution: Election 2009

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Japanese voters brought about a quiet revolution in the political life of the country in the August 30 election of the lower house of the parliament. In a historic election, Japanese voters brought to an end more than a half century of almost uninterrupted rule by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party. The opposition Democratic Party of Japan swept the election, gaining an overwhelming majority in the lower house to go with their coalition majority in the upper house. Three prominent scholars will analyze the election results, looking at how they fit into past developments, what it tells us about the evolution of Japan's political system and voter behavior, what this means for the emergence of competitive elections in Japan, and what the election may mean for the future of US-Japan relations.

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Robert Weiner Assistant Professor Speaker Naval Postgraduate School
Ethan Scheiner Professor, Department of Political Science Speaker University of California, Davis
Kaoru (Kay) Shimizu Assistant Professor Speaker Columbia University
Daniel C. Sneider Associate Director for Research, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Reserach Center Moderator Stanford Unviersity
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Contemporary Asia Seminar Series
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Globalization and the Reorganization of Japan’s Auto Parts Industry

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One prominent feature of Japanese automobile manufacturing in the postwar period was a system of sourcing parts from closely affiliated smaller firms in long-term, stable relations.
Changes in the global automobile industry have made that system too expensive. Increasing competitive pressures resulting from global excess capacity in the early 2000s and have forced a transformation in the business model of the automotive industry. Modulization and a switch to "global best sourcing" for standard parts have turned the previous logic of  Japanese subcontracting on its head, as first-tier suppliers become even closer partners of large assemblers, while small firms become replaceable. Mergers and joint ventures have changed the structure of Japan's auto part industry, resulting in larger firms that compete globally. Undergoing a transformation toward cost-cutting and increased technological capabilities in the late 1990s and early 2000s has afforded these firms a fortuitous head start in preparing for the global auto crisis of 2008/09, which is threatening to wipe out smaller parts markers around the globe.

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International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management
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A New Era in U.S.-Japanese Relations

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Yukio Hatoyama became prime minister of Japan on September 16, two weeks after a landslide election victory made his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) the first single opposition party to take over Japanese government since World War II. The DPJ now holds nearly two-thirds of the 480 seats in the Japanese Diet's powerful lower house, which approves budgets, initiates most legislation, and selects the prime minister. Given such dominance, the party, however fractious, will likely remain in power for at least the four years of its new parliamentary mandate -- influencing the country's political-economic landscape during a crucial period of transition in East Asian affairs, and potentially in U.S.-Japanese relations as well. Weighty issues affecting both Asian regionalism and the U.S. security role in East Asia loom over the next half decade.  Professor Calder will share his thoughts on how the future of U.S. - Japan relations.

Professor Calder is former special adviser to the U.S. ambassador to Japan; Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; professor for 20 years at Princeton University; lecturer and executive director of the U.S.-Japan Program at Harvard University; Ph.D., government, Harvard University

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Kent Calder Director, Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies Speaker School of Advanced International Studies Johns Hopkins University
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Contemporary Asia Seminar Series
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Shorenstein APARC launches the annual Stanford-Kyoto Dialogue, focusing on energy and the environment

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Benjamin Self
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The Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center inaugurates the Stanford Kyoto Trans-Asian Dialogue on 10 and 11 September 2009, with the cooperation of the Stanford Japan Center and the generous support of the City of Kyoto and other donors.

The Dialogue gathers established and rising leaders in various sectors - industry, media, academia, politics - for annual discussion of critical issues of shared concern. Experts from Stanford University and specialists from around the region will launch the Dialogue sessions in focused topics within the annual theme. The 2009 Dialogue centers on the question of "Energy, Environment, and Economic Growth in Asia," with sessions on the Geopolitics of Energy in Asia, Energy Efficiency, Clean Technology, and Post-Kyoto Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Benjamin Self, Takahashi Fellow in Japanese Studies, directs the effort. "The Dialogue brings together distinguished experts from Stanford and Silicon Valley, top specialists from around the region, and leaders in various fields. The meeting begins with an exploration of the influence of energy competition on international relations in Asia. After establishing the geopolitical context the group will explore new ideas on how to promote energy efficiency, clean technology, and the reduction of carbon emissions."

The Stanford Kyoto Dialogue creates a new regional forum, with diverse participation from not only Japan but also South Korea, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Singapore. Working with the City of Kyoto, famous for "green" initiatives, Stanford's Shorenstein APARC will support inventive collaboration on common challenges.

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Shorenstein APARC announces new fellowships and faculty searches for the 2010-2011 academic year

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Shorenstein APARC is now accepting applications for the Northeast Asian History Fellowship, the Shorenstein Fellowships, and the Shorenstein APARC/Takahashi Predoctoral Fellowship. The center also welcomes applications for faculty appointments in Japanese and Korean Studies.
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Daniel Sneider discusses Japan's historic election on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

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A day after a historic election in Japan that saw the nation's ruling party removed from power for just the second time in postwar history, the newly elected majority began planning for the creation of a new government. Regional experts, including Shorenstein APARC director for research Daniel C. Sneider, discuss what the political sea change will mean for Japan, the United States, and the whole of Asia.
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An insider's revolution

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Daniel C. Sneider: Japanese voters went to the polls on Sunday with one overriding aim -- to bring an end to more than a half-century of nearly uninterrupted one-party conservative rule. The monumental victory handed to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) marks a quiet revolution in the politics of America's most important Asian ally.

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Daniel Sneider talks about Japan's political changes and the historic August 30 election

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Political analysts expect Japan to remain a close American ally, but one that is more assertive and less willing to follow Washington's lead automatically. "This is what happens when you have a government in Japan that must be responsive to public opinion," said Daniel C. Sneider, a researcher on East Asia at Stanford University. "It will end the habits from decades of a relationship in which Japan didn't challenge the United States."
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