Japan's domestic political system is a child of the early Cold War period. In the wake of its defeat in the Second World War, the East-West political and ideological confrontation was internalized into Japan's post-war political system that took shape during the Occupation years (1945-52). The end of the international Cold War was bound to have an impact on domestic politics, and since the 1990s the parameters of Japan's political system are changing.
The changes are not only an effect of push factors from the far-reaching transformation of Japan's international environment, but also from repercussions in an economic system that geared down from previously high economic growth. Demographic developments, with few children born, and an ageing population introduce stress, as well as a push towards introducing new elements into a system that has been singularly stable for more than half a century. The premises for Japanese politics established in the early post-war period are now openly questioned.
