Visit by Professor Shiratori
Professor Rei Shiratori of Tokyo's Akita International University (AIU) will be a guest of Asia:NZ and NZIIA for a series of Track 2 meetings in Wellington on 31 March-1 April.
Professor Shiratori is the President of the Institute for Political Studies in Japan (IPSJ); he holds positions as Professor of Political Science at Akita International University (AIU), Director of Global Studies Program at Akita International University and Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Malta in Tokyo.
In Professor Shiratori's words, an optimistic atmosphere prevailed in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). It began on 11 September 2005 with an overwhelming LDP victory in the general election of the Lower House (House of Representatives). It came to an abrupt halt twenty-three months later, on 29 July 2007, with the historic defeat of the LDP in the election of the Upper House (House of Councillors). In the aftermath, the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) emerged as the leading party in Japan’s bicameral parliament. The DPJ acquired the position of Speaker, and together with other opposition parties, assumed the absolute majority of the Upper House. Because the term of the membership of the Upper House is six years and because only half of the total seats are re-elected every three years, this ‘twisted’ situation in the bicameral parliament will continue till 2013.
On January 17, 2008, in his address to the Annual Conference of the LDP Party, the incumbent prime minister Yasuo Fukuda described the situation as a "critical period for survival of the LDP as the ruling party". He then expressed his resignation as prime minister on 4 September 2008, to ensure absolute majority seats in the Lower House election as a result of new prime minister’s popularity. Taro Aso, the new prime minister, has not yet dissolved the Lower House, however, as he could not establish the needed popularity to win the election.
During his lecture, Professor Shiratori will examine whether the present situation is 'the Beginning of New Style Politics' under LDP dominance or ‘the End of the Regime’ of LDP Rule.
Biography
Professor Shiratori is a specialist in the theory of modern political analysis. He studied at Oxford and Waseda, and has served as Dean of Department and Research Institute Director at AIU. His main teaching subjects include theory and practice of politics, comparative politics and Japanese politics.
He also served as Director of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Japan at the University of Essex (1984-1987), and is a member of the International Advisory Board of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES).
Professor Shiratori’s current main area of study includes the analysis of contemporary Japanese political situations and the examination of the theory of welfare state. He is highly regarded for his analysis of political parties, elections and consciousness of Japanese voters. Professor Shiratori has taught at Dokkyo, Essex and Tokai Universities.
