Political Culture and Socialization Project: Japan, Part 2

What are the most significant agents of political socialization in your country?
According to Political Women in Japan, the family, which is the most significant agent in America, is relatively weak in Japan. The book also states that the most prominent agents are those that come later in life, such as “higher education” in particular. Higher education plays a large role because of the fact that “in a subculture where experimentation is accepted and even valued,” an educated person is able to discuss their different beliefs and change their views when discussing issues with other educated people. I would infer from this information that the Japanese people tend to be more open minded when it comes to the smaller, more specific issues.
http://books.google.com/books?id=vR83saYJhgUC&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90&dq=Agents+of+political+socialization+in+Japan&source=bl&ots=3Ek1WdvWH-&sig=h8yK4kfpF_2e69cmpJSEk7NXkvw&hl=en&ei=NRPUTNP-Esmr8Ab6ltz6DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CCwQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Agents%20of%20political%20socialization%20in%20Japan&f=false

What is the basis of government legitimacy in your individual country?
When speaking about the general Japanese feeling towards political legitimacy, Carmen Schmidt, author of Japan’s Circle of Power: Legitimacy and Integration of a Nation Elite, states that overall, there is a general mistrust of politicians and thus the legitimacy of the government. The author first points out that the Japanese people aren’t represented in a fair manner because of the corrupt election districts, which “are not proportionate to the population size.” Also, while elected officials are considered to be legitimate, there are many “elite groups” that aren’t elected (thus illegitimate) which have a strong influence on the elected politicians. Schmidt proclaims that another cause of general mistrust has to do with the mass media. Journalists are required to be members of “kasha kurabu” or “press clubs,” which “function as the primary conducts of official information.” The mass media, while it cannot be considered a pure source of propaganda, doesn’t act to restrict the power of the elite. Percentage-wise, the newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun found by polling that in December 1998, 17.7% had faith in the Japanese political system as a whole.
http://www.asienkunde.de/content/zeitschrift_asien/archiv/pdf/Schmidt96.pdf