Japan's waning wonder

Hyunseok Ryu 18 December 2021

(Image courtesy of Unsplash)

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of InQuire Media Japan needs no introduction. It’s one of the most iconic countries in the world with its distinctive cuisine, culture, and language recognised internationally, and it remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Furthermore, it’s the third-largest economy in the world and a powerhouse of manufacturing and technology. 53 Japanese companies are on the Fortune 500, making it rank third against China and the US. To top it all off, Japan ranks 21st on the democracy index - being described as a full democracy.

Now, this introduction makes Japan seem like it's doing well for itself, however, the statistics and facts on the surface can be distracting from the underbelly of problems. Japan’s GDP is growing, but those working to create the growth are suffering, becoming slaves to their work, and women, who can contribute just as much as men, still face prejudice due to ingrained cultural sexism. Stressful work environments and unhealthy dedication to work have led to the creation of a term for people overworking themselves to death – Karoshi. Women are also often expected to be housewives after marriage, and those prominent in the country still have backwards opinions of women.

The country’s labour laws also plague Japan’s economy. Japan’s labour laws and work culture are founded on job security; if you have a job then you stay loyal to the company that gives it to you, and it’s also extremely difficult to fire an employee as an employer. Job security can seem like a good thing for workers, but a cultural rather than a practical outlook at the labour market means even those who are inefficient at their job can’t be fired. Japan’s rigid labour market doesn’t breed innovation, nor does it ensure efficiency, meaning a stagnating economy is either looming or already here. Furthermore, Japan’s population is ageing, and its lack of immigration and ease of emigration will cost its economy as it remains insulated in regards to labour.

The final issue with Japan is the lack of inflation, with the country deep in a long period of deflation. Put simply, deflation is a serious no-go with economists and logical governments agreeing that a low and stable rate of inflation is necessary to ensure steady and gradual growth of a country’s economy. But Japan has had a chronic problem with consumption, and they haven’t implemented what is necessary to solve it. Japan still has a consumption tax of 8% and the lack of growth led Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to announce a massive stimulus in desperation. Such policy is a good start, and to really spur the economy expansionary fiscal policy is needed; slashing taxes on consumption and carrying out public investments in various sectors, meaning engaging in deficit spending to spur inflation. Considering Japan’s level of debt it may sound preposterous, but the country is in no position to complain about debt when growth is either absent or negligible. Extending from this, the government must spend more on the economy as a whole, if not at least make it easier for other foreign businesses to enter Japanese markets ending a tradition of protectionism to ensure higher growth.

The second half of Japan’s issues is its democracy. Its democracy is broken, despite it being internationally considered a properly functioning democracy. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is the dominant party, having governed Japan since 1955 except for two brief stints out of office, totalling up to 5 years. Their governance is usually stable, and voters, after seeing the chaos of when the opposition Democratic Party of Japan formed the government between 2009 – 2012, determined that it isn’t worth the risk to vote the LDP out. The issue is that though there are enough loyal voters who bring the LDP into power, they’re actually only a fraction of the entire populace. Since 1993, the LDP has never gotten above 40% of the vote and is lucky to get above 35% sometimes, but they still obtain massive majorities due to the broken voting system. Looking at vote share, Japan as a whole doesn’t support keeping the LDP in power, and the vast majority are not enthused by the status quo. It’s especially troubling when nationalists and historical revisionists have become dominant, and are now pursuing policies that harken back to the days of Empire. This resurgence of nationalism and stagnant politics also contributes to a lack of innovative vision for the country.

Their voting drive is also weak. Turnout is low, consistently languishing below 60% and in the 2021 election, it barely topped 55%. Those who do turn out are the elderly, who always vote LDP, while the young are disinterested or jaded. The way people vote is also flawed, voters don’t tick a box but instead, have to write the name of the individual candidate and the party’s name on a blank piece of paper, which can be challenging for some, due to the different methods of writing Japanese words owing to their three writing systems. Furthermore, the method of handing in one’s ballot paper is confusing and inconsistent. Some areas have electronic voting, while some don’t, and the way to vote by mail is also confusing, even for those who know it’s possible.. Election coverage is also poor, and candidates don’t often hold campaign rallies, leading to a lack of attention or upkeep with the process of the election.

This article is not an exhaustive account, one could go deeper into everything listed and more, but it’s clear that one of the most important countries in the world is failing in the most crucial areas: economy and democracy. The country will be ailing and waning for years to come with these failures, and if it’s to uphold its status at the top of economic rankings it must fix them.