ABSTRACT
Japan has claimed to be immune to the populist wave seen elsewhere in recent years. However, when examined more closely, Japan has a long history of various types of populism. If we define populism as a political style that denounces political, economic, and cultural elites, Japan has witnessed as many populist politicians as other industrialized democracies have. In order to trace this history, we first describe the types of populist politician that appeared from the post-war era to the present day. Secondly, we explain why these different types of populists emerged by focusing on changes in the nature of party competition. Thirdly, we emphasize the reason why a neoliberal type of populism persists in Japan. The chapter shows that populism emerges when the political structure changes, thus weakening the broader established political hegemony.
