Leftist thought and activism stands as a defining force in the articulation of political culture and policy in modern Japan. Operating from the periphery of formal political power for the most part, the Japanese Left has had an impact that extends far beyond their limited success at the ballot box. This book focuses attention on the influence exerted by the Left on the political landscape of Japan in the modern era, and assesses the reasons for its successes and failures in terms of its impact on enduring dimensions of Japanese political thought, activism and policy.

Studies of the Japanese Left have hitherto focused on the formal political entities of the Japan Socialist Party and the Japan Communist Party, on crisis points or on single-issue factors such as Article 9 of the 1947 Constitution or the Gulf War in 1991. With essays from an international team of contributors looking at the deeper issues such as pacifist idealism, the dynamics of opposition politics in Japan, and distinguishing features of Japanese Leftist policy such as opposition to liberalization of agricultural trade and positive relations with North Korea, The Left in Japanese Politics will provide a much-needed fresh interpretation of the modern sweep of Japanese politics.