Let's Explore "How to Create, Protect, and Improve a Democratic Society?"

"Democracy, where everyone can be involved in political decisions, is wonderful"—you likely learned something like this in school. However, in reality, there is no guarantee that democracy will automatically produce good results. Whether democracy functions properly depends on the thoughts and behaviors of "us," the sovereigns.

When sovereigns themselves make political decisions, it is called "direct democracy," elements of which can be seen in local self-governance and national referendums. However, because modern nations and municipalities have very large populations, "indirect democracy," where sovereigns elect representatives and delegate political decision-making to them, is widely observed.

Regarding the nature of this indirect democracy, there is a theory called the "Principal-Agent" theory. In a democracy, the "principals" are us, the sovereigns, and the "agents" are the politicians and political parties chosen to realize the interests of the principals. In other words, we are the protagonists of a democratic society, the "trainers" who raise the "Pokémon" that are politicians and political parties. If we do not first strive to be excellent trainers, good Pokémon will not grow.

That said, even in Japan, for example, voter turnout for elections to choose representatives is low, and confusion arises on the internet regarding political information of uncertain authenticity. Furthermore, there are conflicts of opinion and interest surrounding various issues such as the gap between rich and poor, regional disparities, gender inequality, international relations and security, as well as race, religion, and the environment. Political apathy, distrust, and the polarization of public opinion are now common challenges for democratic nations. In a democratic society, diverse opinions and interests are aggregated through systems and mechanisms such as elections, party systems, and parliamentary politics to create laws. For democracy to function well, it is also important that these systems and mechanisms are appropriate. Therefore, studying political science can be described not only as exploring how to become an excellent Pokémon trainer but also how to appropriately create, protect, and improve the rules (systems and mechanisms) of that game.

The Department of Political Science in the Faculty of Law at Keio University offers over 80 subjects ranging from basic to applied levels across five fields: (1) Political Thought, (2) Political Theory and Political Sociology, (3) Japanese Politics, (4) Area Studies and Comparative Politics, and (5) International Politics. Additionally, many small-group classes such as seminars, special research, and research seminars (zemi) are established. Discussions with faculty and peers based on Yukichi Fukuzawa's spirit of "learning while teaching, teaching while learning," as well as the experience of "jinkan kosai (society)," will become lifelong assets for you. Furthermore, many specialized professionals go on to Master's and Doctoral Programs at the graduate school and play active roles in the worlds of politics, administration, society, international relations, and academia. As one of the leading institutions in Japan providing comprehensive and large-scale political science education, all faculty and staff members sincerely support you as you study to your heart's content and take flight into society.

(Published: April 2026)