ABSTRACT
In Japan, the establishment of a political system that values public deliberation goes back more than 150 years. However, democracy is more recent. In particular, after World War Two, the theory of participatory democracy was introduced. It took a long time to shift from participatory democracy to deliberative democracy, primarily through the introduction of Deliberative Polling. There have now been seven official Deliberative Polls conducted in Japan, including two on national issues. Deliberative Polling plays an important role as empirical research data and in the policymaking process. This chapter reviews the introduction of Deliberative Polls in Japan and lessons from the author’s involvement in. By comparing various public consultation methods and the role of parliament, a Deliberative Poll’s best location in policymaking is identified. In particular, Deliberative Polling is recommended to be applied to constitutional reform and referendum processes.
