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Popular Democracy in Japan examines a puzzle in Japanese politics: Why do Japanese women turn out to vote at rates higher than men? On the basis of in-depth fieldwork in various parts of the country, Sherry L. Martin argues that the exclusion of women from a full range of opportunities in public life provokes many of them to seek alternative outlets for self-expression. They have options that include a wide variety of study, hobby, and lifelong learning groups—a feature of Japanese civic life that the Ministry of Education encourages.
Women who participate in these alternative spaces for learning tend, Martin finds, to examine the political conditions that have pushed them there. Her research suggests that study group participation increases women's confidence in using various types of political participation (including voting) to pressure political elites for a more inclusive form of democracy. Considerable overlap between the narratives that emerge from women's groups and a survey of national public opinion identifies these groups as crucial sites for crafting and circulating public discourses about politics. Martin shows how the interplay between public opinion and institutional change has given rise to bottom-up changes in electoral politics that culminated in the 2009 Democratic Party of Japan victory in the House of Representatives election.
Sherry L. Martin is Associate Professor of Government and Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Cornell University. She is coeditor of Democratic Reform in Japan: Assessing the Impact.
"By regendering our view of the average Japanese voter, Martin has taken an arresting and thought-provoking perspective. The analysis of focus group discussions and of local efforts to change politics is revealing of how local democracy works, and anyone wanting a close look into the minds and actions of civically engaged women in Japan should definitely read this book."
Takeshi Iida:
"Equipped with... powerful tools, this study sheds light on how political activism quietly developed through grassroots 'women-centric networks,' which have not necessarily been well examined in political science... the author’s effort was devoted to capturing a good snapshot of local activism among women that is changing Japanese politics, which I believe was successful."
Leonard J. Schoppa, University of Virginia, author of Race for the Exits:
"By analyzing Japan's 'floating voters' who refuse to attach themselves to any political party, with a particular focus on a subgroup of female floating voters who have been especially alienated, Sherry L. Martin helps us understand the electoral currents that swept the Democratic Party of Japan into power in 2009—while also shedding light on the forces that are changing the ways in which women participate in politics in that country."
Robin LeBlanc, Washington and Lee University:
"Sherry L. Martin takes an original approach to examining the divide between citizens and elites in Japanese politics in the last decade or two. Popular Democracy in Japan suggests a new agenda for research on women and the evolution of their political socialization over a lifetime. Neither political elites nor political scientists have previously paid sufficient attention to the fact that the average Japanese voter is a woman."
Robert J. Pekkanen, University of Washingtonco, author of The Rise and Fall of Japan's LDP:
"Sherry L. Martin's innovative use of focus groups makes this book stand out. Her contribution in this study of grassroots citizenship practices lies in connecting the literatures on civil society and electoral politics, and the book distinguishes itself in sharing with readers the voices of Japanese voters at a time of political turbulence. In particular, our understanding of Japanese politics is enriched by Martin's illumination of gender issues left out in many discussions."
Patricia Boling:
"There is much that I admire about this book: Martin's decision to make humble, ordinary women the point of departure for trying to figure out where a democratic resurgence is coming from in Japan; her ability to use a variety of sources, ranging from election survey data, interviews with government officials, and close knowledge of work done on grass-roots political organizing and women’s groups to her focus group discussions; her interest in trying to figure out how group interactions change people from being passive subjects to agents ready to participate in politics.... She uses unconventional approaches and makes feminist arguments for how group interaction helps ordinary Japanese women become active and independent citizens, and in doing so she helps us understand where electoral change in Japan is coming from."
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