2007 Assessment

This peer-reviewed country report includes:

Integrity Indicators Scorecard: Scores, scoring criteria, commentary, references, and peer review perspectives for more than 300 Integrity Indicators.

Reporter's Notebook: An on-the-ground look at corruption and integrity from a leading local journalist.

Corruption Timeline: Ten years of political context to today's corruption and integrity issues.

Country Facts: Statistical context for each country.

Japan's civil service lags behind the West in terms of governance and anti-corruption, rated as very weak. Related issues, such as public procurement, whistleblower protection and the lack of a national level ombudsman (or equivalent agency) all lag behind many other developed nations. Judicial accountability is assessed as very weak, while executive and legislative accountability are moderate to strong. Political financing, as in many developed nations, is a problem in Japan. However elections are generally inclusive and well regulated, while civil society and media are free to operate. However, Japanese press clubs can create an overly cordial relationship between government and press, diminishing their watchdog role.