Former Prime Ministers in Japan: Power, Influence and the Role of Informal Politics

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Despite growing international interest in the position and power of the Japanese prime minister, there is little existing research on what happens after these figures leave office. Examining both pre-war and post-war Japan, this book investigates what Japanese prime ministers have done after stepping down and what influence they have continued to exert.

Based on research in English and Japanese including biographies, memoirs and interviews, the book examines the specific activities former prime ministers engage in, assessing their motivations and the effect of informal politics in Japan on their successes and failures. Ultimately, the book answers the simple but often unanswered question of ’where are they now’ and writes the unwritten post-resignation biographies of Japan’s prime ministers.

Hugo Dobson is Professor of Japan’s International Relations at the School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield.

Karin Narita is Research Associate in Japanese Politics and International Relations at the University of Sheffield.

Caroline Rose is Professor of Sino-Japanese Relations at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Leeds.