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Paths to Advancement in Japanese Bureaucracy

Based on biographical data, this study analyzes the factors affecting advancement in Japan's higher civil service. Through path analysis, it evaluates in a systematic way not only the relative importance of three widely acknowledged factors of advancement—university background, field of study, and higher civil service examinations—but also the manner in which they interact with one another. It also assesses the impact of a civil servant's “track record” on advancement. Finally, after examining the seniority principle in the context of Japanese cultural norms and the findings pertaining to merit-oriented variables, the study suggests that the seniority principle does not produce stagnation but rather facilitates mobility at the highest levels of Japanese bureaucracy.