JAPAN POLITICS GROUP
THIRD COLLOQUIUM
4-6 SEPTEMBER 1995
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICS
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

The Japan Politics Group began out in 1993 out of discussions between Professor
J.A.A. Stockwin, Dr. Barry Keehn and Dr. David Williams on the need to bring
together teachers and researchers in the field of Japanese politics. The Group's
purpose is to attempt to overcome the isolation of specialists in the field by
meeting annually to discuss current trends, research issues and teaching
materials and techniques.

The Group is composed of teachers and researchers based in British institutions
of higher education, including academic staff, Ph.D. research students and
visiting scholars. Over twenty-five individuals representing the overwhelming
majority of British specialists in the field have attended each of the previous
meetings.

The first Colloquium was held at the Nissan Institute, Oxford University on
10-11 September 1993, and the second Colloquium at Halifax Hall, University of
Sheffield on 1-2 September 1994. At the second meeting of the Group, it was
decided to hold the next meeting at the Department of Politics, University of
Newcastle in September 1995.

The Colloquium is divided into five sessions:

1. Overview of the year in politics
2. Issues in domestic politics
3. Issues in foreign relations
4. New research
5. Methodology and the state of the discipline

The schedule for the THIRD COLLOQUIUM to be held at the Department of Politics,
University of Newcastle is as follows:

Monday, 4 September

Session One: Has Japanese Politics Really Changed? James Babb, "Assessing the
Murayama Government" J.A.A. Stockwin, discussant

Tuesday, 5 September

Session Two: Continuity and Change in Domestic Politics Stephen Johnson,
"Coalitions and Crises" John Crump, "Environmental Politics"

Session Three:
Reinhard Drifte, "The Rise of a 'Soft' Power" Glenn Hook, "Japan's Relations
with East Asia"

Wednesday, 6 September

Session Four:
Jonathan Lewis, "Domestic Networks and International Negotiations" Michael
Beeman, "Reconsidering the Developmental State"

Session Five: Roundtable Discussion
Initial Comments by

James Babb, "Placing Japanese Politics in Context" Jonathan Lewis, "The
Internet: A waste of time?"

[Moderator's Note: Professor Babb's comments will focus on the use of new
theories and information technologies in the study of Japanese politics in a
period of rapid political change. Jonathan Lewis has agreed to discuss his
evaluation of the recent exchanges which resulted from his piece in _Social
Science Japan #4_ after it was previewed on the SSJ-Forum. Other issues will
include the degree to which the Internet can facilitate useful and informative
academic exchanges and how discussion lists might include other perspectives in
what is essentially a US-centred medium.]

1995 Japan Politics Group Colloquium Participants List

Kweta Ampiah, University of Sterling
James Babb, University of Newcastle
Michael Beeman, Oxford University
Lesley Conners, Researcher
John Crump, University of York
Gary Dalton, University of Sheffield
Phil Deans, University of Kent
Dianne Dick, Oxford University
Reinhard Drifte, University of Newcastle Ian Gow, University of Sheffield
Christopher Hood, University of Sheffield Glenn Hook, University of Sheffield
Naoko Ise, Univeristy of Sheffield
Stephen Johnson, Oxford University
Barry Keehn, Cambridge University
Dominic Kelly, University of Sheffield
Jonathan Lewis, University of Tokyo
J.A.A. Stockwin, Oxford University
David Williams, University of Sheffield/Japan Times Maurice Wright, University
of Manchester