groups, who are viewed as outsiders. Political leaders have to maintain solidarity and harmony within a single group and also secure the cooperation of different groups who are often in bitter conflict. Takotsubo seikatsu can promote destructive sectionalism. During World War II, rivalry between the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy was so intense that it was nearly impossible to coordinate their strategic operations. In the postwar political system, prime ministers have often been unable to persuade different ministries, all self-sufficient and intensely jealous "kingdoms," to go along with reforms in such areas as trade liberalization. Observers such as journalist Karel van Wolferen, have concluded that Japan's political system is empty at the center, lacking real leadership or a locus of responsibility: "Statecraft in Japan is quite different from that in the rest of Asia, Europe, and the Americas. For centuries it has entailed the preservation of a careful balance of semiautonomous groups that share power... These semiautonomous components, each endowed with great discretionary powers, are not represented in one central ruling body." This view is probably exaggerated. Leadership in other countries, including the United States, has been paralyzed from time to time by powerful interest groups, and some policies in Japan requiring decisive leadership, such as the creation of social welfare and energy conservation policies in the 1970s and the privatization of state enterprises in the 1980s, have been reasonably successful. Culture as Ideology Japanese culture's influence on political values is paramount to the explanation of Japanese values in contemporary Japan, as the Japanese culture functions more of an ideological base that can be seen to embody Japanese Political values, through cultural and social norms. For most Japanese, the idea to submerge their individuality to fully commit themselves to a company or organisation is natural. This reflects in Japanese political values through the sense of loyalty most Japanese people have in life. Furthermore, the sense in which the individuality of Japanese cultures has been ingrained in to Japan's political physique is self evident in contemporary Japanese politics. This can be seen in explanations for why policy Japan has not always followed the western model, due to 'cultural reasons' such as social harmony and other disciplines of Japanese culture preventing such. References Further reading Karel-Van-Wolferen (1989). The Enigma of Japanese Power, p. 201. Vintage Books; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition. . External links Chat and Consensus in the Japanese Traditional