COMPLETION REPORT
Examination of Recent Changes in Japan's Local Government
Dr. Chao Yung-mau (+1)
Professor
Department of Political Science,
National Taiwan University , Taiwan

I. Democratic restructuring of Taiwan’s politics and society: Reflections on Taiwan’s representative
democracy and party politics (Lecture at Osaka University, 14 July, 2015)
This presentation explores, among other things, the post-1980s U.K. and U.S. efforts at both central and local levels
to re-examine their electoral/representative politics, as well as Taiwan’s recent public governance and social
representation discourses that reflect on how its representative politics has been influenced by local factions, organizedcrime, corruption and big corporations. Structural predicaments facing the Taiwanese democracy/politics and civilsociety’s public participation, along with proposed reforms, are also addressed.
Taiwan’s state politics model is shifting from corporate-driven representation to one prioritizing civil society’sinterest; from voter mobilization (for advancing political and political-corporate interests) to civil society
governance/mobilization; from corporate-driven political representation to neo-public representation. While ademocracy’s maturity and deepening depends on a full-fledged, participatory civil society, a full-fledged democracy is
impossible without a robust, democratic civil society. In other words, a democracy without a strong civil society is neverhealthy. Due to national efforts of economic and educational expansion, Taiwan’s private sector is outperforming thestate/governments in economic, professional and knowledge prowess. Through local autonomy and civic governance,
Taiwan’s civil society is increasingly autonomous, self-controlled and self-monitored with public accountability. A
strong state must nurture strong local/civil societies as partners with, first and foremost, greater self-control andaccountability. By cultivating civic autonomy and public initiatives, a society instills in its members a stabilizing sense ofself-control. Democratic governance is impossible without autonomous, accountable civil societies.

II. Reflections on Taiwan’s local development and urban governance (Lecture at University of Tokyo, 25July, 2015)
Urban development in Taipei, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, and Seoul has been suffered from serious imbalance
effects. Especially under the urban regime theory and liberal expansionism, big cities in East Asia have faced mimetic
growth and economic develop crisis. The uncontrolled growth problems such as overpopulation, resource-exhausting,segregation of rich and poor, social group contradictions, rise of crime rate, imbalance in area development, regional
unemployment and financial crisis result in national development problems. The urban expansion phenomena that
controlled by elites need to have a new urban-rural cooperative system through a public and regional governanceapproach which restructuring cities, relationships between government, industry and society. With a new typology ofdemocratic governance, the legitimacy of political regime, civic governance, public participation, and responsibility will
be reconstructed. A new future of urban-rural jointly development will be created as well.
A few directions for rural and urban collaborative development of Taiwan local and regional institutions, fourpoints as following:

1.

Adjusting cooperative relationships between governments, rural and urban areas, industry and civil society inneighboring regions.

2.

Re-organization of the spatial structure.

3.

Creating multi-centered urban and rural structure and smart cities with multi-societies, cultural innovation, andmulti-recreation sports.

4.

From business-government cooperation to business, government, and society cooperation. In addition, we need to
do more works for local governments and societies:(1)

Insisting environmental development justice.

(2)

Helping community and village youths and minority groups, promoting health care agenda and animal protection.

(3)

Exercising urban renewal, joint urban-rural development, creating urban-rural and regional governance platform,supporting middle class, civic participation, cultural and social innovations.

(4)

Enhancing public governance, creating policy forum, web forum, policy lobbying and policy communication.

(5)

Devoted in the reconstruction of culture, history and natural resources. Creating civic plaza, space and recreationalareas.

Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
1.

Chao, Yung-mau, 2015. "The Developments and Transformations of East Asian Cities: PoliticalReflections of New Economic and Social Conflicts" Keynote speaker, Taipei–Soochow City Forum2015 (December 5). Taipei: Soochow University.

2.

Chao, Yung-mau, 2016. "Local Development and Public Participation". Public-Private Partnership,Public Participation and Local Governance: Comparisons of the Experiences of Taiwan and Japan (April2). Kyoto: Kyoto Keikan Forum, pp. 105-118.

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)

Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)