Politics@Japan: Party Competition on the Internet in Japan

This article discusses how Japanese political parties and candidates have been using the Internet to compete for public support in two national elections held in 2000 and 2001. The major question examined is how far the unique institutional context within Japan of long-standing one-party rule and a controlled media environment has affected the development of Web campaigning by political actors. This question is addressed through analysis of trends over time in party activity online and content analysis of websites. It is concluded that the Internet has had a significant impact on the fortunes of minor parties, opening up cross-party competition and enhancing their calls for legislative reform.