ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on ideological, horizontal, and historical dimensions of national identity and analyzes how national identity has influenced the process of democratization in Japan from the Meiji era to the present. It argues that democracy in Japan has been facilitated by (1) an international environment in which attainment of international status and of national self-esteem was linked to building and maintaining a democratic polity; (2) the fact that the imperial institution, which is a core element of national identity, was defined and later redefined in a way that made it compatible with democratization; and (3) the negative experience of militarism and defeat in WWII. While Japan’s democratization has been propelled by the desire to attain status in an international order where liberal democratic values have been prevalent, the relative decline of the West in recent years has questioned the sustainability of the order and urged Japan to play a more proactive role in sustaining the order. Yet the intellectual tradition of parochialism and a densely ethno-cultural conception of national identity make it difficult for Japan to play a proactive international role and pose difficult challenges ahead for Japanese democracy.
