ABSTRACT
This chapter revisits the themes discussed in the preceding chapters of this book, such as Japanese history, political institutions, economic development, political economy, policymaking, state-society relations, foreign relations, and national security. Japan remains a very important country to study. It merits attention not only because it is the third largest economy, but also because it has much to tell us about theories of comparative politics. Politically, Japan is a particularly interesting case for electoral system and political party studies. By 2009, it appeared that Japan had settled into a party system of two large parties that mainly competed in the single-member districts (SMDs) and several smaller parties kept alive by proportional representation (PR). The chapter focuses on the major challenges and opportunities facing Japan moving forward. It highlights the significance of the alternation of power in the 2009 lower house election. The chapter also addresses many ongoing issues in Japanese politics and economics.
