Japan and the Democratic Challenges of an Aging Society

In this talk Gabriele Vogt and Yosuke Buchmeier address this question by focusing on the political marginalization of youth in Japan, the world’s most aged society.

They argue that Japan’s demographic transition has contributed to rising generational inequalities and declining youth engagement. Drawing on comparative survey data from ten Asia-Pacific countries, as well as qualitative interviews with policymakers, activists, and experts in Japan, they identify structural barriers—including deficits in civic education, a lack of deliberative spaces, and social taboos around political expression—that foster a “socialization into powerlessness.” 

Their analysis further reveals a negative correlation between population aging and youth political participation. Japan’s young generation is structurally disempowered. Addressing this democratic disenfranchisement is vital not only for re-engaging younger generations, but for preserving democratic legitimacy in aging liberal democracies worldwide.

Gabriele Vogt (PhD, 2002) holds the Chair in Japanese Studies and serves as Director to the Department of Asian Studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich). 

Yosuke Buchmeier is Departmental Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies. 

This lecture is one of four in the spring of 2026.

February 20th   Japan’s evolving role in Asia's security 

March 26th      Japan's rise to a global footballing power  

April 23rd          Challenges in Rural Japan’s Elderly Care System 

May 28th           Japan and the Democratic Challenges of an Aging Society  

The lectures are in english.

This event is part of a lecture series on Japan organized by Japan Studies within the Global Studies program, in collaboration with Dokk1 and with generous support from the Sasakawa Foundation.