Japanese Political History (Volumes 1-4)

Author: (Japanese) Nobushige Nishimiya, translated by Dong Guoliang, Guo Hongmao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-12-01
Features: When narrating the struggles of political parties and describing the personalities of political figures, the author mostlys diaries and retrospectives of the involved parties, such as Fujiyama Aichiro's "Politics: My Way," the wife of Sato Ryotaro's "Secret Diary of a Prime Minister's Wife." It is vivid and engaging to read, without feeling dull. Of course, these private historical materials may contain some exaggeration, but after careful reflection, one can still extract the truth from the exaggeration. Therefore, this book has strong readability. The Imperial Diet opened amid fierce conflicts between the clique government and the joint forces of the People's Party. The People's Party and its allies demanded reductions in government spending and the relief of public burdens, launching a surprise attack on the government by cutting budgets, distrusting the cabinet, and submitting impeachment motions. The Ikeda Tsunetoshi cabinet retaliated by dissolving the Diet (the Second Diet). The second Ito Hirobumi cabinet relied on imperial decrees to abolish the Third and Fourth Diets, while the Fifth Diet was dissolved after the People's Party and the National Rights Party alliance demanded the fulfillment of existing treaties, leading to loud disputes. The Sixth Diet was also dissolved after passing a bill of impeachment against the cabinet. Meanwhile, behind the intense conflicts, behind-the-scenes negotiations and compromises had already begun. As early as the th Diet, the Liberal Party's left faction had reached a compromise with the th cabinet, passing the budget bill. After the th Diet, the Liberal Party reformed its organization, eliminating the pressure of external radical factions. However, the intense conflicts did not end. The conventions and practices of compromise had not yet been established, and while behind-the-scenes efforts were made to explore compromise solutions, the People's Party and its allies continued to make loud demands in public. Foreign issues were both the focal point of fierce attacks by the People's Party and the National Rights Party on the government and the opportunity to halt the conflict and seek cooperation.