The Structure of Conservatization in Japanese Society: Social Diversity, Party Strategies, and Grassroots Dynamics

This study analyzes the phenomenon of conservatization in Japanese society not through the simplistic view of ideological rigidity or unilateral dominance by conservative forces, but within a complex and structural framework of social diversity and political responses. The conservatization of Japanese society can be understood not as mere ideological bias led by political elites or unilateral conservatization driven by specific political forces, but rather as a multidimensional process formed through the strategic adaptation of political parties to the diverse values of voters. Accordingly, the essence of conservatization in Japanese society depends on the extent to which political parties can incorporate the diverse political values and demands of the electorate, which is grounded in the policy diversity and implementation capacity of those parties. Thus, the conservative phenomenon becomes possible when the ruling party with conservative ideology secures a broad support base by demonstrating greater policy comprehensiveness and execution capacity than its competitors, and this plays a decisive role in institutionalizing the conservative-dominant structure in Japanese society.