Roger W. Bowen 
Japan’s Dysfunctional Democracy: The Liberal Democratic Party and Structural Corruption [PDF ebook] 
The Liberal Democratic Party and Structural Corruption

This is a short, readable, and incisive study of the corrosive effects of corruption in one of the world’s major liberal democracies. It explores the disconnect between democratic rule and undemocratic practices in Japan since the Second World War, with special attention to the corrupt practices of various prime ministers and the resulting sense of political cynicism and powerlessness among the general public.