Is Japan really a democracy?

[Sukotto]

I think Japanese democracy is very unique in this sense. Probably only Japan in this planet continues its unique system.
In short, Japanese don't like "Change", while Americans, British, French, and Koreans need "Change" sometimes. Even at the Meiji revolution, power transition was accomplished with less blood, and Tokugawa regime remained. Even after WWII, Japan remained unchanged principally with some minor changes only.
From my point of view, I wonder why rest of the world like to change all the time.

i think it is human nature to not want to change, if we are comfortable.
for example, with the fall of communism in eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet empire,
the US maintained military bases around the world (over 700 known/admitted according to Chalmers Johnson), and we in the US did not receive any "peace dividend". i'll leave it at that, since this thread is titled "Is Japan really a democracy?"


but perhaps Japan did change?
just not the political party.
would the people of Japan today accept a new imperial adventure?

 

[dongdong]

Japan is officially a Democratic country, but according to the poll result people seem to deny the fact of Japan being a Democratic country.
May be freedom of speech is not given as much as Western nations.
I think freedom of speech in my country are given even more than Japan.

 

[pipokun]

Japan is officially a Democratic country, but according to the poll result people seem to deny the fact of Japan being a Democratic country.
May be freedom of speech is not given as much as Western nations.
I think freedom of speech in my country are given even more than Japan.

Have you ever tried to access the website of the DPRK supporting organization in Japan, chosen soren, from your country? Tell me when, if you can really do it now.

They loudly demand "More subsidies for our great Korean schools" here. I know Japan is a strange country who give money to private schools, Japanese or non-Japanese ones.

 

[Astroboy]

US democracy is very unique because they believe they are the most democratic and they can export US-democracy to others, meaning "exportable", while nobody asks.

Koreans like radical change. They swing from extreme right to extreme left, and now back to extreme right again. I assume that their life must be tough.

Now back to Japan. as I said, Japan continues to remain unchanged since beginning of its sovereign history - some 3000 years. It is not adventure, but always here, while others keep coming up and down.

 

[heianbutterfly]

I have to say Japanese governement seems to do a good job of running for its people regardless of the exact laws and procedures of the system of government. The rate of income tax is very low, there is free and good quality public education, the hospitals are under a lot of criticism but at least they have universal public health cover unlike some other countries like the US, crime is low to the point of being uncomparable with most other countries, and there is not such a big gap in living standards as in a lot of other industrialised countries. At least the government has not sold out to corporate interests or any other one group.

 

[tokapi]

I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment ...

 

[dongdong]

If Japan was really a Democratic country,

moderators in here (obviously Japaneses) wouldn't have deleted threads without any proper reasons.

My threads were compulsively deleted although I never used any foul language.☝

 

[tokapi]

moderators in here (obviously Japaneses) wouldn't have deleted threads without any proper reasons.

Someone is obvious a new kid on the block

 

[dongdong]

Have you ever tried to access the website of the DPRK supporting organization in Japan, chosen soren, from your country? Tell me when, if you can really do it now.
They loudly demand "More subsidies for our great Korean schools" here. I know Japan is a strange country who give money to private schools, Japanese or non-Japanese ones.

Huh?????? What????????

I don't know what you are talking about.

So far, 45 people voted "NO" while 21 people voted "yes" on "Is Japan really a democracy"?
I simply said Japan is more likely a socialism country rather than Democratic country based on this poll result and other people's experience (who visited Japan).

 

[Sukotto]

Huh?????? What????????
I don't know what you are talking about.
So far, 45 people voted "NO" while 21 people voted "yes" on "Is Japan really a democracy"?
I simply said Japan is more likely a socialism country rather than Democratic country based on this poll result and other people's experience (who visited Japan).

my understanding is that democracy is political, and socialism is economic.
so a country could be both. like vote some socialist or socialist-type programs into being. some would consider a minimum wage to be socialist. the definition is pretty flexible. likewise i'd say for democracy. it depends on what you mean by the words.

 

[brave_new_world]

What I infer what dong says, Japan is not a democratic nation.

my understanding is that democracy is political, and socialism is economic.
so a country could be both. like vote some socialist or socialist-type programs into being. some would consider a minimum wage to be socialist. the definition is pretty flexible. likewise i'd say for democracy. it depends on what you mean by the words.

 

[tokapi]

Pardon me

Diet members are elected by the Japanese people,therefore it's a democracy.

 

[iwuvvleskaylee]

A country is only a democracy if the electorates (people who can vote) vote for every bill, law, and so forth. This is unrealistic. Therefor, a democratic country cannot exist. United States has a "Representative Democracy." The term is propoganda to make people feel important when the US isn't even a direct Republic. President wise, we vote for the vote of an electoral collage person. They don't even have to vote to what the mijority says. US citizens have no control. I don't know about the japanese government, but i hope they are more mature than my government, and will admit to it's people that it's not a democracy. It is the beginning signs of communism to not do so. If they can't admit it to us, then they fear plans of theirs from being interrupted. Anyone's guess what the plans are. With mention of the trilateral comission, it's eerie to think how much the governments of Europe, Japan, and the United States are related.

 

[pipokun]

Japan Revolutionary Communist League Revolutionary Marxist Faction
Japan Revolutionary Communist League - Revolutionary Marxist Faction
Kakumaru

I am not sure if you (dongdong/brave_new_world) are allowed to access their website or not, but it is a reality in Japan without saying noisy Japan Communist Party or the former Socialist Party, SDPJ, or the DPRK supporting General Association of Korean Residents.
And in terms of Japan-Korea relations, Chosen Shipo, the People's Korea, tells you how much non-Japanese can politically loud in Japan.
http://www1.korea-np.co.jp/pk/

 

[dongdong]

I am not sure if you (dongdong/brave_new_world) are allowed to access their website or not, but it is a reality in Japan without saying noisy Japan Communist Party or the former Socialist Party, SDPJ, or the DPRK supporting General Association of Korean Residents.
And in terms of Japan-Korea relations, Chosen Shipo, the People's Korea, tells you how much non-Japanese can politically loud in Japan.
http://www1.korea-np.co.jp/pk/

Answer my question.
How come more people voted "NO" than "YES" in "Is Japan really a democracy?"

 

[pipokun]

ﾅｽﾃ絶?督ｯ窶怡窶堙??認窶怡ﾅ?ﾃ滅淡窶堙俄?堋?窶堙ｩﾆ稚ﾆ停?ｰﾆ停?愴湛ﾅｽﾃ絶?ｰﾃｯ窶怡窶堙??堋ｷﾂ。
社民党 SDP Japan

According to the website of Social Democratic Party Japan, SDPJ, is in good relationship with Parti Socialiste.

et de ne pas hésiter à annoncer un possible boycott si aucun signe tangible n’était donné.
http://presse.parti-socialiste.fr/2008/04/07/gouvernements-cio-engagements/

Their French brother/sister clearly says what they believes.

It is a bit sad not to find any English translation in both sites, esp., the SDPJ who usually yells out loud, "MULTICULTURALISM IN JAPAN!!!". (I know that English is just a tool, but it is good for non-Japanese readers to see what the liberal-heads in Japan think.)

The easy-going big smile in the SDPJ website or mysterious silence of many human right groups is a great example of the current liberalism in Japan.

It may be a mistake of the JOC who decided the relay would start from a famous Zenko-ji temple.
When nothing serious happens, a loud propaganda goes.
Look, even not-history-facing Japan welcomes it in a Buddhism temple

When something happens, some posters may say...
Look at the brutality in a Japanese temple. Some upset posters may say, "is that what you call, "democracy"?
(Is it correct to use the English word, catch-22, here?)

A latest news goes that the local organization will suspend visits by the public, at least around the temple, the starting point .
Yes, this is what we call "democracy" here...

 

[Skullcrushergurl]

I personality feel that other countries aren't good with democracy especially China. Seeing that a lot from China has influnced Japan that would mean the government too right? There is democracy in the states and still there are big flaws. The thing is that democracy itself causes problems because the government doesn't want to let go.

 

[tokapi]

No,China influenced ancient Japan culturally & philosophically not politically

 

[Skullcrushergurl]

Okay. So what? You're saying that its impossible that Japan's system could be influenced politically by China? BS. Once a country is influenced in some way by another, its bound to be influenced more than one way.
I really can't understand how Japan can have democracy at when women can't get decent jobs because of discrimination.
Career Women in Japan Find a Blocked Path (Published 2007)

 

[pipokun]

The latest job for (rich) Chinese women is "housewife" with its economic boom.

And I heard some highly educated American women, whose mothers might be in the radical feminism generation, choose "staying-home mom or soccer mom".

The Japanese housewife story is just a sort of myth created esp., after the post-war industrialization.
During the most radical student movement in the 60' or early 70', some female activists were disappointed to see the male dominance. And most activists turned into a corporate loyalist called salaryman.

 

[pipokun]

A malicious arrest or just a theft?

窶敖ｽ窶｢ﾃ淒蓄窶堙ｰ窶亙窶堋ｦ窶堙ｩﾅ?ﾃや?ｹﾂｫ窶｢ﾃ崘津ｬ窶冂窶佚個「ﾆ丹ﾆ椎?ﾂーﾆ停?愴痴ﾂーﾆ湛ﾂ」窶堙固?ﾋ??慊ｮ窶ｰﾃ??堙ｧ窶堋ｪ窶卍ｲﾂ債ｸ窶｢ﾃ淒蓄窶魯窶堙個湘ｦ窶枠ﾋ?ｵ窶堋ｪﾅｽﾂｩ窶佚ｮ窶堙俄?倪?披?堙≫?堋ｽﾆ誰ﾆ淡ﾆ停?ｰ窶堙娯?愿ｷ窶堙ｰﾅｽﾂ昶?堋ｿﾂ出窶堋ｵ窶堙??堋｢窶堋ｽ窶禿｢窶佚ｨ窶堙?、ﾂ静つ森ﾅ陳ｧﾅ遅窶堙?遅ﾅｽ窶ｹ窶卍｡ﾅ津ｶﾋ??窶｢窶昶?堙債、ﾂ「ﾆ丹ﾆ椎?ﾂーﾆ停?愴痴ﾂーﾆ湛ﾂ」窶堙固?ﾋ??慊ｮ窶ｰﾃ??啣ﾂ人窶堙ｰ窶啣窶唹窶愿ｺ窶堙俄?佚溪?｢ﾃ溪?堋ｷ窶堙ｩ窶｢ﾃｻﾂ針窶堙??堋ｷﾂ。

Two activists may be arrested for stealing the whale meat in June 20.

http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye3880904.html

Free speech is one of the most important, but you will be arrested if you steal something you don't own in Japan, no matter how great cause you have.
Another interesting point in this case might be the involvement of Public Safety Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

(Put your favorite color) peace!

 

[hotaruika]

I dont know what is real democracy.but Japan have democracy for certain.
Japan have universal suffrage　since 1890 and Sovereignty rests with the people since 1946．
The Japan government and All self-governing bodys elected ｂｙ Japanese.
it is our represents!

Japanese democracy must continue growth.but it is matured now.

 

[hotaruika]

A malicious arrest or just a theft?

I belive that GreenPeaceJapan had not legitimacy and justice
GPJ　is asserting that stealing is "investigate action"
but GPJ arenot police.of cource,they awarded a search warrant by Japanece couts.they are very childsh.

 

[wenwenguo]

Yes,it Is.we Have Learned It.

 

[hotaruika]

GPJ say whale-saveing justice, even if they commit a crime.
But I dont belive it.Japanese majority　too.
Minke whales don't have human rights（and human mind）
Scientists judgment Minke-whales useble resources.
（oppornents cannnot distinguish between threatened species and other whales ）
Whole fishing for examination is　a just　right from The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling、and recognized action by IWC
if Minke whales will not go to extermination,I belive business fishings　are right too


If GPJ belive them justice.they must deliver themself to the police.
If this is true justice.Japanese support GPJ.
but GPJ are foolish enough to say "We are innocent.our stealing is investigate action".