James Babb

The Seirankai and the Fate of its Members: The Rise and Fall of the New Right Politicians in Japan

Abstract Often ideology is downplayed in the study of Japanese politics. The Seirankai is important because it was a clearly ideological right-wing group of politicians. The group and its former members certainly pushed forward the right-wing ideological agenda in the decades after its formation but assessing its impact is not straightforward. The Seirankai and the fate of its members demonstrate the tension between ideology and standard narratives of political success in Japan.

The New Generation of Conservative Politicians in Japan

This study examines the extent to which there has been a rise in ideologically based politics in Japan due to the decline in factionalism in the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The study is based on two cases studies. The first is based on the notion of ‘Koizumis children’ recruited by former Prime Minister Koizumi and his allies, who were heavily discouraged from joining a faction. The second model is based on an analysis of a junior MP groups which have played a role in the internal management of the LDP independent of established party organizational structures.