Explaining Japan's Lack of Green Parties : A Social-Milieu Approach

Although Japan is a highly industrialized country, it still lacks any significant
green parties. This apparent Japanese exceptionalism in terms of
green parties cannot be clarified by such conventional explanations as its electoral
institutions, party competition, and degree of post−materialism. This paper
will instead utilize the German−developed framework of social−milieu
studies to explain this phenomenon. It focuses on green parties’ potential
support bases, paying attention to the characteristics of green milieu parties.
German milieu studies have found that alternative or techno milieus with high
educational and occupational qualifications and left−libertarian value orientations
have supported the German Green Party. Our data show that an ironist
milieu can be regarded as a potential basis of support for Japanese green parties,
as Japanese ironist are more leftist toward political and economic issues
and more liberal in their cultural attitudes. However, German alternatives
tend to be active, while Japanese ironists tend to be passive and disinclined
to participate in various groups or to associate with others. Such passivity
inclines them to retreat into their private lives without expressing their left−
libertarian value orientation in the political arena. Our findings therefore suggest
that a milieu exists that could potentially support Japanese green parties,
but that these parties have been failing to gain support from it because of its
members’ passivity and apolitical behavior.