BOYD, James Patrick III    Department   Aoyama Gakuin University  Department of International Politics, School of International Politics, Economics and Communication    Position   Associate Professor
Language	English
Publication Date	2008/07
Type	Academic Journal
Peer Review	Peer reviewed
Title	Prosperity's Children: Generational Change and Japan's Future Leadership
Contribution Type	Collaboration
Volume, Issue, Page	pp.15-51
Author and coauthor	Richard J. Samuels
Details	This study examines the results of the 2005 Asahi Shimbun-Tokyo University Elite Survey to measure generational differences in the views of Japanese legislators across three key areas of Japan’s political discourse—economic policy, security policy, and cultural issues related to right-wing nationalism. The study then explores the policy implications of these differences through three plausible midterm scenarios. The study of generational differences provides only a limited explanation for the dynamics of Japanese politics. (1) Generational differences are most significant in domestic economic policy, where the eldest cohort favors maintaining the institutions of Japanese-style capitalism more than both younger cohorts. (2) Although the youngest cohort favors more muscular security policies than do the elder cohorts, only one instance of this generational difference proves statistically significant. (3) Even though there are no statistically significant differences between generations on cultural issues related to right-wing nationalism—an unexpected finding in itself—that the midcareer cohort, which is the primary object of this study, is more progressive than the other cohorts in this area is surprising.