Japan's legal and political system, enshrined in the 1947 Constitution and imposed on the Japanese people without their involvement during the U.S. occupation, is largely alien to its history and culture. Peter Herzog examines the effects of that foreign value system in this detailed and fascinating book, highlighting instances in such areas as the judiciary, human rights, minorities, religion and education, where abuse and exploitation of the law has taken on disturbing proportions at many levels of Japanese public life.

Japan's legal and political system is completely alien to its history and culture, imposed on the Japanese people without their involvement after the Second World War. A lifeless and little-understood document based on a foreign value system, it has been open to dangerous misinterpretation and abuse. Peter Herzog examines the effects of this disastrous turn of events in his carefully-researched and fascinating book, detailing instances where this abuse has taken horrifying proportions in key areas of Japanese public life. Indefensible decisions made by the courts on issues such as the electroal system, education, freedom of workers, have resulted in Japan being a democracy in name only. Scandals involving collusion between politicians and big business which have rocked the country, lavish overspending by local authorities on prestige projects rather than desparately-needed public housing, and key decision-making being in the hands of the non-accountable bureacracy rather than politicians are just some of the results of this state of affairs. The author's approach makes this book a useful record and source of reference.