Michio Muramatsu – författare

This volume analyses the way in which the Japanese civil service has contributed to Japan's phenomenally successful economic growth and the lessons that experience may offer for other developing countries. It provides much new information about the structures, functioning, and policymaking activities of the Japanese civil service. In its analysis, emphasises the degree of competitiveness within the Japanese bureaucracy, the extent to which political authority is wielded rather than formal power, and the way in which government policy has encouraged rather that inhibited market forces.

This book examines the evolution of intergovernmental relations in postwar Japan. These relations are shown to be both complex and dynamic, and the Japanese model is revealed as one in which aspects of both central control and local autonomy have co-existed with the balance shifting gradually over time towards the latter. The Japanese system has helped to maintain broad-based economic growth since it has at its core a strongly egalitarian fiscal transfer mechanism. At the same time, it has proved to be consistent, to a much greater extent than previously recognized, with political development, or progress in the attainment of such political values as liberty (personal rights) and equality (broad participation in public affairs) for individuals and communities. This is because the national government has proved flexible enough to accommodate, although not always with grace or alacrity, citizen concerns about the quality of life. The Japanese approach to intergovernmental relationships has also been successful in solving coordination problems which often arise between local and central government units and in building capacity to support greater and effective decentralization. Coordination problems have been handled through a variety of mechanisms including the practice of agency delegated functions, while local capacity issues have been addressed through such practices as the exchange of personnel across different levels of government and the use of attractive compensation and training packages to recruit and retain local staff. The Japanese experience thus provides an example of gradual and guided decentralization based on shared responsibilities between local and central governments for mobilizing, managing, and spending public resources in the pursuit of sustainable development.

Local Power in the Japanese State offers a comprehensive examination of the evolution of local government and central-local relations in Japan during a pivotal era of political and administrative change. Originally published in Japanese in 1988, the book contextualizes Japan's governance dynamics through the lens of historical, political, and socio-economic transformations, particularly during the post-war period. It traces how local government systems adapted to rapid industrialization, urbanization, and increasing interdependence between central and local authorities, culminating in significant legislative developments such as the Decentralization Law of 1995. The text provides insights into the tug-of-war between central control and local autonomy, analyzing how these forces shaped the governance landscape in Japan.The book delves into various theoretical models of local governance, including integrationist frameworks influenced by European systems and the gradual incorporation of separationist elements introduced during the U.S. occupation. It explores how political competition, administrative reforms, and the democratization of local leadership—such as the popular election of governors—fostered a nuanced evolution of local autonomy. By focusing on case studies and firsthand interviews with prefectural leaders, the book reveals the intricate interplay of vertical administrative control and horizontal political competition. Ultimately, Local Power in the Japanese State underscores the resilience of local governance structures amid centralizing pressures, providing a critical perspective on the balance between self-management and central oversight in modern Japan.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988.

Local Power in the Japanese State offers a comprehensive examination of the evolution of local government and central-local relations in Japan during a pivotal era of political and administrative change. Originally published in Japanese in 1988, the book contextualizes Japan's governance dynamics through the lens of historical, political, and socio-economic transformations, particularly during the post-war period. It traces how local government systems adapted to rapid industrialization, urbanization, and increasing interdependence between central and local authorities, culminating in significant legislative developments such as the Decentralization Law of 1995. The text provides insights into the tug-of-war between central control and local autonomy, analyzing how these forces shaped the governance landscape in Japan.The book delves into various theoretical models of local governance, including integrationist frameworks influenced by European systems and the gradual incorporation of separationist elements introduced during the U.S. occupation. It explores how political competition, administrative reforms, and the democratization of local leadership—such as the popular election of governors—fostered a nuanced evolution of local autonomy. By focusing on case studies and firsthand interviews with prefectural leaders, the book reveals the intricate interplay of vertical administrative control and horizontal political competition. Ultimately, Local Power in the Japanese State underscores the resilience of local governance structures amid centralizing pressures, providing a critical perspective on the balance between self-management and central oversight in modern Japan.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988.