ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on contemporary politics in Japan. It first briefly looks at politics and citizens’ participation during the 1955 system and then turns to contemporary politics. Steel argues that, despite the oft-repeated narrative of a harmony-seeking, group-orientated population, the vibrant tradition of citizen participation has been alive and well. The upsurge in contentious politics that occurred during the 2010s is but one example of this. While Japanese political participation is comparatively low on some measures, citizens are not disconnected from the system and the stereotypes that describe Japan as an authoritative state possessed of a passive, apolitical populace are not entirely accurate.
