Japan's "withering" democracy

April 6, 2015

VOX POPULI: Japan’s democracy withering like old cherry trees

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/vox/AJ201504060012

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun.

An old poem reads, “It often becomes windy and rainy after flowers blossom.” As it implies, a huge number of cherry blossom petals have been blown away by the wind and rain in areas west of the Kanto region over the past several days.

While being disturbed by the falling blossoms, we are also worried about whether some cherry trees have been felled by strong winds.

Many “somei-yoshino” cherry trees across the nation are aging. This species is said to have a lifespan of 60 to 80 years.

The cherry trees planted around the country soon after the end of World War II are now in this age range.

A cherry tree is believed to be in danger if mushrooms are growing on the base or the trunk. If a tree produces an odd sound when it is hit by a wooden hammer, experts say, there is the possibility that the trunk is rotting and hollowing inside.

If tree trunks were “local elections,” what sound would they produce if struck?

These trees should have spread thick branches and leaves to all parts of the nation. Sadly, however, these trees have cut a rather miserable figure.

In 41 prefectural assembly elections, 321 constituencies, or one-third of all constituencies, were uncontested. As a result, 501 candidates won their seats without any competition.

This column once quoted an American aphorism warning about abstention from voting: “Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.”

In Japan, however, many people can’t vote even if they want to because there are no contests in their electoral districts. That means many candidates are elected simply because they have run.

Part of the blame should be placed on the pathetic Democratic Party of Japan, which has sharply reduced the number of its candidates. But there seems to be more deep-rooted problems behind the deplorable situation.

Sixty-eight years have passed since the first unified local elections were held in postwar Japan. This nation’s democracy is now as endangered as the old cherry trees.

Voter turnouts in various elections have been generally low in recent years. This clearly indicates a disturbing tendency among Japanese voters to leave policymaking to politicians and bureaucrats.

There has been a series of scandals involving unseemly conduct by members of the Diet and local assemblies. That’s partly because of the lack of serious tension between politicians and voters.

The same is true for the administration’s arrogance.

We need some good tree doctors who can breathe new life into our precious trees.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 5

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.