Political Culture in Japan and the World

Since I was absent this week, I will use the material for my today’s blog solely from our class’ “weekly materials” folder. As far as I understood, Japan’s political culture centers on harmony (wa) and slow, careful decision-making. Everyday practices like nemawashi - quietly building agreement before meetings - help avoid public conflict and preserve group solidarity. Looking further, The Liberal Democratic Party’s long dominance, a powerful professional bureaucracy, and commitments like Article 9 and the Three Non-Nuclear Principles all reinforce a predictable, stability-first political rhythm. This follows often long-term thinking: big projects (like mentioned Shinkansen, Maglev) and policy concerns about an aging society and carbon neutrality by 2050.

Now, comparing Japan with Lithuania, I think it shows both differences and surprising echoes. Lithuania’s post-Soviet experience produced more open partisan competition and public debate, while Japan leans toward internal consensus and hierarchy. However, both are surprisingly high on institutional stability - Japan through hierarchy and consensus, Lithuania through stronger democracy consolidation and active public participation.

For my extra research, I stumbled upon Almond & Verba’s idea of “civic culture”, which helps tie these ideas together. As Britannica summarizes, “democracy will prove most stable in societies where subject and parochial attitudes provide ballast to an essentially participant culture.”  So, in my opinion, Japan’s mix of bureaucratic trust and restrained public participation, AND Lithuania’s active democratic engagement, are two different but important ingredients for this civic-culture recipe.

Reference:

Winkler, J.R., Roskin, M.G. "The Civic Culture." Encyclopedia Britannica, April 21, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Civic-Culture.

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