The Hatoyama Dynasty: Japanese Political Leadership Through the Generations - Paperback

by M. Itoh (Author)

This is a multi-generational political history of the Hatoyamas, a family that has participated at the highest levels of Japan's parliamentary government from its inception in the late 1800s. The Hatoyama family is one of the most prominent political families in modern Japanese government. It has produced six members of the Diet, Japan's parliament, many of whom have served as cabinet members and party leaders. Due to the family's political legacy, they have often been likened to the Kennedy family in American politics (though they have been spared the tragedy and scandal visited upon the Kennedys). Despite the significance of the Hatoyamas to modern Japanese politics, this is the first comprehensive study available in English. In tracing the rising political fortunes of this family, it is also possible to study the role of hereditary politicians in Japan, the growth and evolution of Japanese political parties, and, perhaps most importantly, the way political leadership functions in Japan, a society known more for consensus-building than strong leaders.

Front Jacket

Something has gone terribly wrong in Japan. As the country slowly declines into an East Asian version of Argentina, the world wants to know what happened to the economic powerhouse of the Pacific. There is no better place to start than with Mayumi Itoh's study of the Hatoyama Dynasty-three generations of Japanese political leaders from the visionaries of the Meiji era to the spluttering mediocrities of today. Itoh demonstrates that Japan's problems are primarily political, not economic, and that wholesale reform of its 'one-party democracy' is desperately needed. This book is cutting-edge research on the world's second most productive country. -- Chalmers Johnson, author of "MITI and the Japanese Miracle" and "Japan: Who Governs?"
"Mayumi Itoh has written an intriguing account of one of the most important family dynasties in twentieth century Japanese politics. More than an analysis of the politicians in the Hatoyama family, this book offers a sweeping panorama of modern Japan's political history." -- Gerald Curtis, Professor of Political Science, Columbia University
"A pioneering study of four generations of Japan's most prominent political family which sheds much light both on the strengths and the weaknesses of the Japanese political system." -Donald S. Zagoria, Professor of Government, Hunter College
Mayumi Itoh has done those of us fascinated by "leadership" an immeasurable service by taking us into the lives - the setbacks and triumphs - of the men and women of the Hatoyama dynasty, arguably Japan's most important political family. Mayumi Itoh's Hatoyama Dynasty is not only a treat; it is essential reading for those who want to understand the fragile origins and ongoing trials of Japanese leadership and democracy. -- Steve Clemons, Executive Director, Japan Policy Research Institute

Author Biography

MAYUMI ITOH is Associate Professor of Political Science at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA and author of The Globalization of Japan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2000).