Documentation Center on Contemporary Japan (

W ith repeated political corruption and scandals as well as opaque alliances and split political parties and factions, the political world of Japan has appeared particularly dismal in the past ten years. Some now perceive it as a “lost decade” in politics. Political cynicism has gradually deepened, but citizen participation in politics has grown active over the Internet despite simultaneously declining in the voter booth. Many believe that as expressions of dissatisfaction or complaints about politics alone are not likely to change anything, citizens need to be better informed about candidates and take action in politics by voting in accordance with their own beliefs and convictions. A current civil movement is spreading nationwide that not only solicits voters to participate in politics by becoming better informed and voting but also demands that politicians disclose information on campaign contributions. Since the Internet is becoming an important source of information exchange, this civil movement has become more evident here as well as in the traditional media. As nationwide local elections are approaching in April this year, I would like to feature several interesting rapidly-expanding websites on elections.