The Referendum Movement in Post-Cold War Japan. A Comparative Analysis Inspired by Rokkan

An approach inspired by the work of S. Rokkan (1973) is used to investigate the characteristics of the Japanese party system, an increase in local Japanese referenda since 1996, & the related topic of political subcultures. The growth in local referenda is linked to a center-periphery relation that was common in Japan as part of the "1955 system," when attempts to restructure the system commonly resulted in referenda based on citizen initiatives. The situation in Okinawa is used as a case in point to demonstrate the importance of minority subcultures, who are often ignored in academic study & whose actions may be very important in the creation of a new notion of democracy. 2 Tables, 18 References. D. Weibel