ABSTRACT
Japan has often been described as a gerontocracy (Coulmas, 2000: 287f). To some, ‘gerontocracy’ is a slur used as part of the ‘Japan’s flawed democracy’ discourse (for example, van Wolferen, 1990). Others have used less judgemental terms such as ‘silver democracy’ (Uchida, 1986). However one chooses to view the nexus of age and power, there is no denying that the Confucian notion of respect for elders has left an imprint on Japan’s political culture. Whether or not this is a good thing and whether age is worse than other factors that come to bear in determining power in industrial democracies, such as, for example, money and special interests, are different questions. In the late Meiji era, after Japan had been transformed from a feudal state into a constitutional monarchy, the genrÜ, a group of about fifteen elder statesmen around the Emperor, were the real power brokers (Hackett, 1968). In matters of state, experience has always been highly valued and, arguably, Japan’s political system still testifies to the power of seniority. During the better part of the second half of the twentieth century, the tendency towards a relatively old government has not hindered but rather, some would claim, has paved the way for Japan’s rise from the ashes of World War II to become an economic superpower. This could mean that the decisions mature politicians and managers are likely to take were what was needed during the catch-up phase of post-war reconstruction, or alternatively that even their suboptimal decisions could not derail the high-growth economy that was driven by hard work and a young population. However, the aged society’s depressed economy since the early 1990s has given
rise to the question of whether a sclerotic leadership in politics and business is an impediment in the early twenty-first century, when innovation and creative solutions are more in demand than ever to defend Japan’s position as an economic powerhouse. Is the government young enough to face the risks of the world’s most rapidly ageing country?
