[Goku]

Japan's political system does have some nasty problems tho.

For the last 50 years it's essentially been a one party democracy. The LDP has never really needed to reinvent itself after a defeat for lack of any serious political competition, and the opposition has been in the wilderness for so long they wouldn't know what to do with government if they won it.

Japanese politics is essentially a family business, with people climbing the ranks on the back of family connections in private and public sectors rather than through any drive, hunger or political ideology. For whatever reason, whether it be political apathy or lack of choice, the Japanese public simply doesn't hold the government accountable for their lack of performance.

The boom years in Japan were driven by a competent private sector practicing neo-mercantilism, overseen by a bureaucracy that kept things running smoothly, probably despite the government. Unfortunately for Japan when the bubble burst, the government didn't know what to do.

The general elections later this year should be interesting. Both major parties are polling dismally, and you have a choice between a party that needs to lose if it has any chance of changing, and a party that few want to vote for.