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The political motivations for the reform of urban policy during the rapid economic growth period in Japan: a closer look

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2019

Junichi Hasegawa
Junichi Hasegawa*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Economics, Keio University, 2–15–45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108–8345, Japan
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Urban policy in Japan gained greater significance in the late 1960s. In 1968, a new City Planning Law was enacted, and urban policy was a prominent issue in that year's House of Councillors election. Scholars have regarded the ruling conservative party's fear of a threat to its hegemony as the primary force driving this increased attention to urban policy. This article examines the political factors surrounding the reforms enacted, concluding that politicians actually underestimated the degree of public interest in urban policy and made largely empty political gestures to appease urban dwellers while responding more readily to agricultural interests.

Type
Research Article
Information
Urban History , Volume 48 , Issue 2 , May 2021 , pp. 364 - 379
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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Footnotes

†

I would like to thank Professor Simon Gunn and the two anonymous referees for their comments and suggestions, which have done much to improve this article.

References

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