The politics of agriculture in Japan

"Agriculture is one of the most politically powerful sectors in Japanese national politics. This book provides a comprehensive account of the political power of Japanese farmers. This text analyses the organisational and electoral basis of farmers' political power, including the role of agricultural interest groups, the mobilisation of the farm vote and links between farmers and politicians in the Diet.

Agrarian power has helped to produce the distinctly pro-rural, anti-urban bias of postwar Japanese governments, resulting in a general neglect of urban consumer interests and sustained opposition to market opening for farm products."--BOOK JACKET.