This article reviews media-related aspects of the 2009 Japanese lower house elections, which saw the historic defeat of the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Drawing mainly on Internet sources and on interviews with politicians and political journalists, the authors argue that the DPJ relied primarily on conventional media strategies and made only limited use of new media in their campaign. If the DPJ hopes permanently to transform Japan’s political landscape, the party will need to prioritize the reform of outdated election campaign legislation and abolish “closed shop” reporters’ clubs.
Farley, Maggie.1996. "Japan’s Press and the Politics of Scandal." In Politics and Media in Japan, ed. Ellis Krauss and Susan Pharr, 143-97. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press.
2.
McCargo, Duncan.2003. Media and Politics in Pacific Asia. London: Routledge.
