Komeito

This volume sheds light on a long-ignored part of the Japanese political system, the Kōmeitō party, making the party more accessible to comparative political science. The contributors discuss Kōmeitō's history, its inner workings, and its way to power. The chapters also offer important insights into connections between the religious mother organization (Sōka Gakkai) and the political party.

George Ehrhardt is associate professor of government at Appalachian State University. His research focuses on Japanese political parties and the role of religion in contemporary Japanese politics. He is coeditor of Komeito: Politics and Religion in Japan (IEAS, 2014).
Education: B.A. in International Relations, Carleton College; M.A. in International Affairs, George Washington University; Ph.D. in Political Science, Indiana University

Axel Klein is professor of Modern East Asian Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. His research focuses on election campaigning, religion, and politics as well as demographic change. He is coeditor of Komeito: Politics and Religion in Japan (IEAS, 2014).
Education: B.A. in Japanese Studies, Political Science and Comparative Religion, University of Bonn; Ph.D. thesis on electoral system reform in Japan; Habilitation thesis on political system in Japan
 Levi McLaughlin is assistant professor of philosophy and religious studies at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on modern and contemporary Japanese religions, particularly Sōka Gakkai. He is co-editor ofKomeito. He is co-editor of Komeito: Politics and Religion in Japan (IEAS, 2014).
Education: B.A., East Asian Studies, University of Toronto; M.A., East Asian Studies, University of Toronto; Ph.D., Religion, Princeton University

Steven R. Reed is professor of policy studies at Chuo University, Tokyo. His major areas of research are elections and electoral systems, as well as religious groups in politics. He is coeditor of Japan Decides: The Japanese General Election of 2012 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and Komeito: Politics and Religion in Japan (IEAS, 2014).
Education: B.A., Political Science, Wabash College; Ph.D., Political Science, University of Michigan