In the following pages I will try to examine the nature of Japanese elite´s. It interests me how they are composed, how they work and persist but also why they do the same. For that I will try to look into elite theory from Gaetano Mosca, Vilfredo Pareto, G. Lowell Field and John Higley, C. Wright Mills and Harold D. Lasswell. My aim is to take bricks of their theories out and apply it to the Japanese national elite system. Therefore I will recognize the Iran Triangle of the Political, Corporate and Ministry elite as Harold Kerbo and John A. McKinstry use it (Kerbo/McKinstry 1995). First of all I will define the terms that will be used in this work and then look into the theories of scientists I talked about above. In the next chapter I go right to Japan to get a small insight of the elite-structure there. After examining the Corporate, Ministry and Political Elite separately I look do the factors that hold them t ogether more closely. The education system, social clubs and business organizations as also the very important family connections. With some questions Lasswell asked for his work, I bring in further thoughts as the theory and fact go together. So my questions are what is the elite in Japan? Of what elements does it consists and how does it persist? What’s wrong with this democratic system organization, if there is something wrong with it. Is it going to change in the next years or is it likely to persist for a very long time, over generations? Is there a better system for Japan? And what would that be? I can see that this is not going to be a very sorrow study since the work is taking place in the frame of a student seminar but I take it as an opportunity to get at least some insight in the works of those scientists. The part of applying those theories to Japan, a country I studied only for a short time and never have been to, can only be done with the consciousness of labeling it as a students try. Still I hope that some valid thoughts will come out of the following pages and I hopefully will have time to further this study in the future, as it really sounds interesting to me. It took me some time to find the right theme for this seminar work, as I wanted to write on Japanese society but didn’t want to cover the exact same things as Prof. Harold Kerbo did in his books „Modern Japanese Society“ (Kerbo/McKinstry 1997) [...]
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. ELITE THEORY
2.1 Definition
2.2 Gaetano Mosca and Vilfredo Pareto
2.3 C. Wright Mills
2.4. G. Lowell Field and John Higley
3. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IN JAPAN
3.2 The Corporate Elite
3.1 The Ministry Elite
3.3 The Political Elite
4. SOCIAL NETWORKS OF JAPANESE POWER ELITE
4.1. Tokyo law faculty and it’s elite outcome
4.2. Social Clubs/Business Organizations
4.3. Family connections
5. THEORY
6. EXPLORING THE JAPANESE DEMOCRACY
7. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This work examines the composition, function, and persistence of the Japanese national elite. It aims to apply classical elite theories from thinkers like Mosca, Pareto, Mills, and Lasswell to the specific power structure of contemporary Japanese society, particularly focusing on the "power triangle" of the corporate, bureaucratic, and political elites.
- Application of Western elite theory to the Japanese power structure.
- Analysis of the "power triangle" (Corporate, Ministry, and Political elites).
- Examination of social networks, education (Tokyo University), and family ties (yoshi-system).
- Critical evaluation of Japanese democracy and elite persistence.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 The Corporate Elite
Let me start with the most powerful of all, the Corporate or Business Elite. As we speak of a country who is a great economic power in the world and known for it’s economic miracle in the resent past it is not surprising that businessmen hold great power.
As this paper shouldn’t be to long I will try to sum up the most important reasons why the corporate elite holds such great power in Japan.
It is well known that Japan has very big companies, competing very well in international economies, some of them are leading ones all over the world. For that it’s not surprising that the presidents and chairmen of those corporations hold a huge amount of power. As Kerbo and McKinstry write in their book “Who rules Japan” there are six major groups or so called keiretsus, consisting of 71 to 121 companies each (1995:49f). 619 companies are part of one of this six big keiretsus; to be in a high position in one of them will add to your prestige tremendously and brings you into the elite much easier. Prestige is what Japanese elite’s separate from the commoners. Not so much money. Compared to an average Worker a Corporate presidents gets only 17 times as much, whereas in the United States it would be 85 times as much (Kerbo/McKinstry 1995:7). On the other hand very rich people, not belonging to the prestigious elite have a really hard time to get there, despite all their money. There are also vertical keiretsus which consists of one big corporation (one within the 6 groups) and the suppliers or providers dependent on the central one. This goes down the line. The two types of keiretsu form the so called dual economy of Japan which makes it tremendously hard for foreigners to intervene (Kerbo/McKinstry 1997:37).
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Sets the research framework by defining the goal to analyze the Japanese elite structure through the lens of classical elite theory.
2. ELITE THEORY: Reviews foundational theories by Mosca, Pareto, Mills, and Field/Higley to establish the analytical tools for the study.
3. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION IN JAPAN: Details the three components of the Japanese "power triangle": the corporate, ministry, and political elites.
4. SOCIAL NETWORKS OF JAPANESE POWER ELITE: Investigates the mechanisms that integrate the elite, specifically Tokyo University education, business organizations, and family connections.
5. THEORY: Applies Lasswell’s questions to the Japanese context to understand the perspectives, values, and strategies of the elite.
6. EXPLORING THE JAPANESE DEMOCRACY: Critically evaluates the democratic nature of the Japanese system in light of the observed elite consolidation.
7. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, noting that the elite remains powerful due to institutional design and social networks, while noting the potential for future change.
Keywords
Japanese Elite, Power Triangle, Social Stratification, Keiretsu, Bureaucracy, Political Elite, Corporate Elite, Keibatsu, Yoshi-system, Tokyo University, Democracy, Elite Theory, Prestige, Patron-client structure, Keidanren
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
This paper focuses on the nature and persistence of the Japanese national elite, exploring how they are composed and how they maintain their powerful positions within society.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The work covers elite theory, the structure of the Japanese "power triangle" (corporate, ministry, and political), social networks, the role of prestigious education, and the functionality of Japanese democracy.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to apply established Western theories of national elites to the specific case of Japan to identify how these power structures interlock and sustain themselves over generations.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a theoretical analysis approach, drawing upon secondary literature and academic studies by scholars such as Kerbo, McKinstry, and classical elite theorists to verify the structure of power in Japan.
What topics are discussed in the main section?
The main section dissects the three elite branches, the role of institutions like Keidanren, the importance of the yoshi-system, and the influence of the education system on social mobility.
What are the characterizing keywords?
Key terms include "power triangle," "keiretsu," "elite persistence," "bureaucratorcracy," and "social networks."
How does the yoshi-system influence the elite structure?
The yoshi-system involves the adoption of talented individuals into elite families, allowing the elite to incorporate new achievements and talent while maintaining their status, power, and family influence.
Why does the author consider the Japanese political system "partially" democratic?
The author argues it lacks full democratic restraints because of the immense, unelected power of bureaucrats, the dominance of a single party (LDP) for decades, and the significant influence of corporate donors like Keidanren on policy.
- Quote paper
- Sabine Putzgruber (Author), 2003, Why do they rule Japan - The Nature of Japanese Elites, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/35765
