On the question initially raised about the advent of the DPJ administration/Kan government and the 'decline' of Japanese democracy, it might be possible to make the observation that Ozawa introduced a very undemocratic element into the DPJ in the way in which he ran his 'faction/group' (and more generally in the way he managed the party as secretary-general) - in much the same way that the old-style factions in the LDP were managed - pretty undemocratically, as top-down fighting groups - organisations with strict hierarchical relationships in which members must obey the leader. Ozawa imported this factional culture into DPJ management (he's been called 'the last factional politician'). Any objection or protest against Ozawa was considered outrageous. That is the reason why the former head of the DPJ's Secretariat, Ito Atsuo, thinks that 'democracy has been lost from the DPJ'. Many DPJ politicians objected to this style of DPJ governance.

Best wishes,

Aurelia George Mulgan
UNSW Canberra,
Australia