MACMILLAN The Operation of the Japanese Electoral System since 1994

This research explores one of the baffling mysteries in contemporary non-Western democracies.  The conversion to a mixed system of the first-past-the-post system and proportional representation for the Japanese House of Representatives in 1994 has not realised the widely spread desire for recurrent changes of government, as the Liberal Democratic Party have maintained their grip.  Dr Nagatomi monitors Japanese politics with the theories and methodologies of electoral geography.  From a comparative perspective, the operation of the electoral system can mostly be explained by the geographical distributions of party supports, the arrangements of electoral constituencies and the candidacies of parties.  Packed with a volume of the analyses unpublished elsewhere, this book will offer food for thought to political scientists, Asian watchers and broadly comparative researchers. From the Back Cover This research explores one of the baffling mysteries in contemporary non-Western democracies.  The conversion to a mixed system of the first-past-the-post system and proportional representation for the Japanese House of Representatives in 1994 has not realised the widely spread desire for recurrent changes of government, as the Liberal Democratic Party have maintained their grip.  Dr Nagatomi monitors Japanese politics with the theories and methodologies of electoral geography.  From a comparative perspective, the operation of the electoral system can mostly be explained by the geographical distributions of party supports, the arrangements of electoral constituencies and the candidacies of parties.  Packed with a volume of the analyses unpublished elsewhere, this book will offer food for thought to political scientists, Asian watchers and broadly comparative researchers. Kazuaki Nagatomi has taught at Kyoto University, Ryukoku University and Keio University in Japan. Prior to this, he completed his study with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, after graduating from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University in Japan.  He has published many books and articles, including a single-authored book entitled  Independent Success in Mayoral Elections in England: A Study of Factors Contributing to the Candidates’  Success. About the Author Kazuaki Nagatomi has taught at Kyoto University, Ryukoku University and Keio University in Japan.  Prior to this, he completed his study with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, after graduating from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University in Japan.  He has published many books and articles, including a single-authored book entitled Independent Success in Mayoral Elections in England: A Study of Factors Contributing to the Candidates’ Success.