Silvio Beretta is Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Pavia and currently lecturer of international economic cooperation and development policies at the same department. Silvio Beretta is also former Dean and Director of the Department of Economics, Statistics and Law. He is member of the Istituto Lombardo-Accademia di Scienze e Lettere as well as Foreign Research Fellow at the Center of European Studies at the City University of New York and Honorary Member at the Academy for the Humanities and Sciences at the same university. Silvio Beretta is scientific director of the journal “Il Politico” and has extensively published on international and European economics, on decision-making processes of Italy’s economic policies, the territorial structure of financial systems and the history of economic policy and comparative economic systems. Axel Berkofsky is former Gianni Mazzocchi Fellow at the University of Paviaand since 2011 Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the same university. Currently, he is also Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Milan-based Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), Executive Committee Board Member at the Stockholm-based European Japan Advanced Research Network (EJARN) and Senior Advisor at the Brussels-based EU-Asia Centre. Previously, Dr. Berkofsky was Senior Policy Analyst and Associate Policy Analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Centre (EPC), Research Fellow at the Brussels-based European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS). Axel Berkofsky has authored two books and has published more than 200 academic, articles and essays in journals, newspapers and magazines. He has lectured and taught at numerous think tanks, research institutes and universities in Europe and Asia. His research interests are amongst others Japanese and Chinese foreign and security policies, Asian security and EU-Asia relations.Fabio Rugge is Rector of the University of Pavia and Professor of the History of Political Institutions at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the same university. Previously, Fabio Rugge was the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the same university. He has authored or edited numerous national and international scientific publications, including books, articles, other contributions, and reviews. He is a member of the scientific committees of several journals. Professor Rugge’s main field of research is the institutions of public administration and local government, viewed in a historical and comparative perspective. He has also published numerous essays and articles on legal and corporate communications history. In 2006 he was awarded the title “Commander of the Republic”.

• 1 Introduction.- Part I Society and Demography.- 2 Italy’s Population: A Portrait.- 3 Changed Discourses on Demography in Japan.- 4 Where Is the Forgotten Giant Heading to? The Current State and Future of Japanese Economics and Politics.- Part II Politics.- 5 Japan’s US-‘Imposed’ Post War Constitution: How, Why and What for?.- 6 Italy: Birth of the Post War Constitution and the Republican Constitutional Order.- 7 Parties and Electoral Behaviour in Italy: From Stability to Competition.- 8 The Italian Election of February 2013: A Temporary Shock or a Harbinger of a New Party System?.- 9 Flocking Together? The Breakdown and Revival of Political Clientelism in Italy and Japan.- 10 Studying Electoral Engineering via a Double-Barrelled Natural Experiment: Comparing the Long Run Consequences of 1990s Electoral Reform in Italy and Japan.- Part III Economics.- 11 The Italian Economy 1961-2010: From Economic "Miracle" to Decline.- 12 Ageing, Debt, and Growth Crises: Two Forerunners.- 13 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Italy and Japan.- Part IV International Relations.- 14 Japan’s Search for a New Identity: Japan’s Domestic Politics and Its Foreign Policy after the Cold War.- 15 Domestic Constraints, Governmental Instability and Italian Foreign Policy.- 16 Italy and Japan: The Price of Defeat in Post WWII International Relations.- 17 The Admissions of Italy and Japan to the United Nations: History and Diplomacy.- 18 Hosts and Hostilities: Base Politics in Italy and Japan.- 19 Italy and Japan as Security Actors: Still Free Riding on the US?.

Silvio Beretta is Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Pavia and currently lecturer of international economic cooperation and development policies at the same department. Silvio Beretta is also former Dean and Director of the Department of Economics, Statistics and Law. He is member of the Istituto Lombardo-Accademia di Scienze e Lettere as well as Foreign Research Fellow at the Center of European Studies at the City University of New York and Honorary Member at the Academy for the Humanities and Sciences at the same university. Silvio Beretta is scientific director of the journal “Il Politico” and has extensively published on international and European economics, on decision-making processes of Italy’s economic policies, the territorial structure of financial systems and the history of economic policy and comparative economic systems. Axel Berkofsky is former Gianni Mazzocchi Fellow at the University of Paviaand since 2011 Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the same university. Currently, he is also Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Milan-based Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), Executive Committee Board Member at the Stockholm-based European Japan Advanced Research Network (EJARN) and Senior Advisor at the Brussels-based EU-Asia Centre. Previously, Dr. Berkofsky was Senior Policy Analyst and Associate Policy Analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Centre (EPC), Research Fellow at the Brussels-based European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS). Axel Berkofsky has authored two books and has published more than 200 academic, articles and essays in journals, newspapers and magazines. He has lectured and taught at numerous think tanks, research institutes and universities in Europe and Asia. His research interests are amongst others Japanese and Chinese foreign and security policies, Asian security and EU-Asia relations.Fabio Rugge is Rector of the University of Pavia and Professor of the History of Political Institutions at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the same university. Previously, Fabio Rugge was the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the same university. He has authored or edited numerous national and international scientific publications, including books, articles, other contributions, and reviews. He is a member of the scientific committees of several journals. Professor Rugge’s main field of research is the institutions of public administration and local government, viewed in a historical and comparative perspective. He has also published numerous essays and articles on legal and corporate communications history. In 2006 he was awarded the title “Commander of the Republic”.

• 1 Introduction.- Part I Society and Demography.- 2 Italy’s Population: A Portrait.- 3 Changed Discourses on Demography in Japan.- 4 Where Is the Forgotten Giant Heading to? The Current State and Future of Japanese Economics and Politics.- Part II Politics.- 5 Japan’s US-‘Imposed’ Post War Constitution: How, Why and What for?.- 6 Italy: Birth of the Post War Constitution and the Republican Constitutional Order.- 7 Parties and Electoral Behaviour in Italy: From Stability to Competition.- 8 The Italian Election of February 2013: A Temporary Shock or a Harbinger of a New Party System?.- 9 Flocking Together? The Breakdown and Revival of Political Clientelism in Italy and Japan.- 10 Studying Electoral Engineering via a Double-Barrelled Natural Experiment: Comparing the Long Run Consequences of 1990s Electoral Reform in Italy and Japan.- Part III Economics.- 11 The Italian Economy 1961-2010: From Economic "Miracle" to Decline.- 12 Ageing, Debt, and Growth Crises: Two Forerunners.- 13 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Italy and Japan.- Part IV International Relations.- 14 Japan’s Search for a New Identity: Japan’s Domestic Politics and Its Foreign Policy after the Cold War.- 15 Domestic Constraints, Governmental Instability and Italian Foreign Policy.- 16 Italy and Japan: The Price of Defeat in Post WWII International Relations.- 17 The Admissions of Italy and Japan to the United Nations: History and Diplomacy.- 18 Hosts and Hostilities: Base Politics in Italy and Japan.- 19 Italy and Japan as Security Actors: Still Free Riding on the US?.

Silvio Beretta is Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Pavia and currently lecturer of international economic cooperation and development policies at the same department. Silvio Beretta is also former Dean and Director of the Department of Economics, Statistics and Law. He is member of the Istituto Lombardo-Accademia di Scienze e Lettere as well as Foreign Research Fellow at the Center of European Studies at the City University of New York and Honorary Member at the Academy for the Humanities and Sciences at the same university. Silvio Beretta is scientific director of the journal “Il Politico” and has extensively published on international and European economics, on decision-making processes of Italy’s economic policies, the territorial structure of financial systems and the history of economic policy and comparative economic systems. Axel Berkofsky is former Gianni Mazzocchi Fellow at the University of Paviaand since 2011 Professor at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the same university. Currently, he is also Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Milan-based Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI), Executive Committee Board Member at the Stockholm-based European Japan Advanced Research Network (EJARN) and Senior Advisor at the Brussels-based EU-Asia Centre. Previously, Dr. Berkofsky was Senior Policy Analyst and Associate Policy Analyst at the Brussels-based European Policy Centre (EPC), Research Fellow at the Brussels-based European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS). Axel Berkofsky has authored two books and has published more than 200 academic, articles and essays in journals, newspapers and magazines. He has lectured and taught at numerous think tanks, research institutes and universities in Europe and Asia. His research interests are amongst others Japanese and Chinese foreign and security policies, Asian security and EU-Asia relations.Fabio Rugge is Rector of the University of Pavia and Professor of the History of Political Institutions at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the same university. Previously, Fabio Rugge was the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the same university. He has authored or edited numerous national and international scientific publications, including books, articles, other contributions, and reviews. He is a member of the scientific committees of several journals. Professor Rugge’s main field of research is the institutions of public administration and local government, viewed in a historical and comparative perspective. He has also published numerous essays and articles on legal and corporate communications history. In 2006 he was awarded the title “Commander of the Republic”.

• 1 Introduction.- Part I Society and Demography.- 2 Italy’s Population: A Portrait.- 3 Changed Discourses on Demography in Japan.- 4 Where Is the Forgotten Giant Heading to? The Current State and Future of Japanese Economics and Politics.- Part II Politics.- 5 Japan’s US-‘Imposed’ Post War Constitution: How, Why and What for?.- 6 Italy: Birth of the Post War Constitution and the Republican Constitutional Order.- 7 Parties and Electoral Behaviour in Italy: From Stability to Competition.- 8 The Italian Election of February 2013: A Temporary Shock or a Harbinger of a New Party System?.- 9 Flocking Together? The Breakdown and Revival of Political Clientelism in Italy and Japan.- 10 Studying Electoral Engineering via a Double-Barrelled Natural Experiment: Comparing the Long Run Consequences of 1990s Electoral Reform in Italy and Japan.- Part III Economics.- 11 The Italian Economy 1961-2010: From Economic "Miracle" to Decline.- 12 Ageing, Debt, and Growth Crises: Two Forerunners.- 13 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Italy and Japan.- Part IV International Relations.- 14 Japan’s Search for a New Identity: Japan’s Domestic Politics and Its Foreign Policy after the Cold War.- 15 Domestic Constraints, Governmental Instability and Italian Foreign Policy.- 16 Italy and Japan: The Price of Defeat in Post WWII International Relations.- 17 The Admissions of Italy and Japan to the United Nations: History and Diplomacy.- 18 Hosts and Hostilities: Base Politics in Italy and Japan.- 19 Italy and Japan as Security Actors: Still Free Riding on the US?.