Japanese Literary Awards

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Yosuke Sunahara

すなはら ようすけ

Sunahara Yosuke

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1978-07 （Osaka Prefecture）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
political scientist, university professor
Active Years
2006-
Affiliations
Osaka City University, Graduate School of Law (Associate Professor), Osaka University, Graduate School of Law (Associate Professor), Kobe University, Graduate School of Law (Associate Professor, then Professor), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Special Research Fellow (PD)

Education

Nada High School
Year of Graduation: 1997
Country: Japan
The University of Tokyo, College of Arts and Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences / Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
Degree: 学士
Period: 1997-2001
Year of Graduation: 2001
Country: Japan
The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences / International Social Sciences
Degree: 修士（国際社会科学）
Period: 2001-2003
Year of Graduation: 2003
Country: Japan
The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences / International Social Sciences (Doctoral Program)
Degree: 博士（学術）
Period: 2003-2009
Year of Graduation: 2009
Country: Japan
Doctoral thesis: "Choices of Local Governments and Institutional Constraints: An Empirical Analysis of Local Politics in the Era of Decentralization"

Awards

Suntory Academic Prize (35th)
Work: Osaka: Can a Major City Surpass the Nation?
Category: 政治・経済部門
Organization: Suntory Foundation for the Arts
Result: 受賞
Ōfuku Jirō Forum Prize (17th)
Work: Division and Integration in Japanese Politics: Reform of Governance Structures and Transformation of the Party System
Organization: Ōfuku Jirō Forum Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Democracy of Local Governments: Fiscal Resource Constraints and Policy Choices of Local Governments

2011 political science / public administration

An empirical study of how fiscal constraints shape policy choices of local governments, examining decision-making in the era of decentralization.

local politicsfiscal constraintsdecentralization

Osaka: Can a Major City Surpass the Nation?

2012 non-fiction / political sociology

Using Osaka as a case study, discusses how urban governance, economy, and politics relate to the nation, and presents possibilities and challenges of metropolitan politics.

urban politicslocal autonomyregional economy

The Conditions of Democracy

2015 political science

An essay collection examining institutional and social conditions necessary for the establishment and maintenance of democracy.

democracyinstitutional designpolitical theory

Division and Integration in Japanese Politics: Reform of Governance Structures and Transformation of the Party System

2017 political science

Analyzes dynamics of division and integration in Japanese politics through governance reform and changes in the party system.

party politicsgovernance reforminstitutional change

Do You Like New Houses?: Housing and Politics in Japan

2018 political sociology

Discusses the relationship between housing policy and culture/politics, clarifying characteristics and challenges of Japan's housing policy.

housing policypublic policyeveryday culture

Bibliography

  • Democracy of Local Governments: Fiscal Resource Constraints and Policy Choices of Local Governments
  • Osaka: Can a Major City Surpass the Nation?
  • The Conditions of Democracy
  • Division and Integration in Japanese Politics: Reform of Governance Structures and Transformation of the Party System
  • Do You Like New Houses?: Housing and Politics in Japan
  • First Steps in Political Science (co-authored)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
academic, analytical styleevidence- and case-based argumentation
Recurring Motifs
local politicsdecentralization and autonomyinstitutional design

Legacy

A scholar who has contributed to studies of local and urban politics in Japan. Through both academic and general-audience works, he has advanced discussions on public policy and the conditions of democracy.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese Political Science Association

Trivia

  • Born in Osaka Prefecture.
  • Graduated from Nada High School in 1997.
  • Studied at the University of Tokyo and earned a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy, humanities/social sciences).
  • Served as a JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PD).
  • His book "Osaka: Can a Major City Surpass the Nation?" won the 35th Suntory Academic Prize (award edition cited; award year not specified here).