This project focused on the theme of “Japanese Politics in the New Era,” under the direction of Hideo Otake, professor of political science at Kyoto University and a leading scholar on Japanese politics. The project reflected an awareness of the difficult constraints that domestic politics often place on effective Japanese participation and leadership in international affairs. A group of ten young political scientists was divided into two teams, each studying the two fundamental systemic changes in Japanese politics since 1993: (1) the introduction of a new electoral system for the House of Representatives and (2) the emergence of coalition governments. Each team participated in monthly joint workshops with resource persons, including leading political figures, bureaucrats, political reporters, and senior academicians, in the course of their field studies.

The essays by the first team was published in 1998 in the volume titled How Electoral Reform Boomeranged: Continuity in Japanese Campaigning Style. The essays by the second team, which focused on analyzing the impact of coalition politics on the policymaking process, were published as Power Shuffles and Policy Processes.