ABSTRACT

This chapter does not dwell on a traditional debate of Japanese politics: Whether power centers on the country’s bureaucracy or legislators. As a recent study of the Japanese decision-making system suggests, power is in the hands of both Japan’s legislators and bureaucrats (Campbell and Scheiner 2004: 1). The important question is who is really in charge, when andwhere legislators and bureaucrats cooperate or confront each other, and how they communicate with and influence each other.