What makes a democracy democratic? If one-party dominates, and there is no real choice, is it still a democracy? Japan faces an election, but with no viable opposition emerging to challenge the ruling-LDP, voters are left with little choice. The conservative LDP, dominated by older, privileged men, has dominated Japanese politics to the extent that alternative voices and ideas have been suppressed, and swathes of Japanese, including the working poor and the younger generations, are left unrepresented.
Op-ed in The Guardian on the state of Japanese democracy
Paul O'Shea has co-authored an opinion article in The Guardian newspaper on the past, present, and future of Japanese democracy.