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This article observes that the cycle of violent political extremism that began in Japan's postwar period did not last long beyond the mid-1990s. In view of the situation, this article intends to (1) give an overview of the issue, (2) discuss why the frequency and degree of political violence declined, and (3) investigate current trends in Japanese political extremism, as it still appears to exist if we define extremism as more than physically violent behaviors. This article argues that violent extremism as a tactic may have found it difficult to outlive the period of the 'developmental state' of Japan, while the era of 'civil society' in Japan that followed perhaps rendered ideologically motivated violence irrelevant. This article also argues that, today, acts that can be counted as extremism have morphed into occasions where activists have grievously offended the feelings of the targeted population, thereby gaining notoriety and publicity., Author(s): Daiki Shibuichi [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 0004 1756 4881, grid.469245.8, United International College, , Zhuhai, China Introduction Violent political extremism in post-war Japan-by both sects of far-left activists [...]

This study has focused on the organizational and structural aspects of Nippon Kaigi, a major rightist lobbying group in Japan. It argues that Nippon Kaigi may not be that powerful despite the group's influential outlook. By examining the elements of the organization and their relationships with each other, this study observes that Nippon Kaigi as a whole may not be very cohesive., Author(s): Daiki Shibuichi [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) Centennial College, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Introduction Nippon Kaigi , a rightist advocacy group that has existed in Japan since 1997, captured the attention [...]

Leftist political parties and labor unions that had stood at the forefront of the collective effort to protect Article 9 until the early 1990s have stepped back to some extent as they have shrunk and fragmented. Instead, advocacy groups whose influence is often enhanced by 'leftist elites' have now seemed to come more to the fore, thereby raising certain questions: What roles do the leftist elites play in those groups? How are such groups organized? Who exactly are the leftist elites? This article intends to address questions regarding the leftist elites, as well as the organization and development of these advocacy groups, in particular the Article 9 Association., Author(s): Daiki Shibuichi [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) Centennial College, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Introduction Mass protests and demonstrations broke out around Japan's parliament (the Diet) buildings in 2015, peaking in autumn. [...]