Politics of Japan

	Politics of Japan There is still dispute as to whether Japan is a constitutional monarchy or a republic. It has a parliamentary government, which consists of three branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. Sovereignty is vested in Japanese nationals by whom officials are elected in all of the branches. There is universal adult suffrage with a fair, reliable, secret ballot. For historical reasons, the system is similar to that in the United Kingdom. \n \nNational Diet building in Tokyo \n Government Structure Japan no longer officially has the traditional federal system, and its 47 prefectures depend on the central government for subsidies. Governors of prefectures, mayors of municipalities, and prefectural and municipal assembly members are popularly elected for four year terms. Sovereignty, which was previously embodied in the Emperor, is now the domain of the people. The Emperor is defined as the symbol of the state. Legislative By the Constitution, the Diet is the most powerful of the three branches and consists of two houses, the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The Diet directs the Emperor in the appointment and removal of the chiefs of the executive and judicial branches. At present, the following political parties are represented in the National Diet: \nLiberal Democratic Party (LDP)\nDemocratic Party of Japan (DPJ)\nNew Clean Government Party (Komeito)\nJapanese Communist Party (JCP)\nSocial Democratic Party (SDP) Note:* The New Conservative Party (Hoshu Shinto) merged with the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan on November 10, 2003 ("Hoshu Shinto to merge with LDP"). The LDP has been the dominant party for most of the post-war period since 1955, and is composed of a several factions which are oriented along personalistic rather than ideological lines. Executive The executive branch reports to the Diet. The chief of the executive branch, the Prime Minister, is appointed by the Emperor as directed by the Diet. He must be a member of the House of Representatives and a civilian. The Cabinet, which he organizes, must also be civilian. The Constitution states that the majority of the Cabinet must be elected members of either house of the Diet, the precise wording leaving an opportunity to appoint non-elected officials too. The Prime Minister has the power to appoint and remove ministers. In cases when the Liberal Democratic Party (the LDP) has been in power, it has been convention that the President of the LDP serves as prime minister. Judicial The judicial branch is independent of the other two. Its judges are appointed by the Emperor as directed by the Diet. Japan's judicial system, drawn from customary law, civil law, and Anglo-American common law, consists of several levels of courts, with the Supreme Court as the final judicial authority. The Japanese Japan Constitution, drawn up on May 3, 1947 includes a bill of rights similar to the United States Bill of Rights, and the Supreme Court has the right of judicial review. Japanese courts do not use a jury system, and there are no administrative courts or claims courts. Because of the judicial system's basis, court decisions are made in accordance with legal statutes. Only Supreme Court decisions have any direct effect on later interpretation of the law. See also: Japanese law Recent political developments The post-World War II years saw tremendous economic growth in Japan especially with the Korean War in 1950-53, with the political system dominated by the LDP. That total domination lasted until the Diet Lower House elections on July 18, 1993, in which the LDP failed to win a majority. A coalition of new parties and existing opposition parties formed a governing majority and elected a new prime minister, Morihiro Hosokawa, in August 1993. His government's major legislative objective was political reform, consisting of a package of new political financing restrictions and major changes in the electoral system. The coalition succeeded in passing landmark political reform legislation in January 1994. In April 1994, Prime Minister Hosokawa resigned. Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata formed the successor coalition government, Japan's first minority government in almost 40 years. Prime Minister Hata resigned less than 2 months later. Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama formed the next government in June 1994, a coalition of his Japan Socialist Party (JSP), the LDP, and the small Sakigake Party. The advent of a coalition containing the JSP and LDP shocked many observers because of their previously fierce rivalry. Prime Minister Murayama served from June 1994 to January 1996. He was succeeded by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who served from January 1996 to July 1998. Prime Minister Hashimoto headed a loose coalition of three parties until the July 1998 Upper House election, when the two smaller parties cut ties with the LDP. Hashimoto resigned due to a poor electoral showing by the LDP in those Upper House elections. He was succeeded as party president of the LDP and prime minister by Keizo Obuchi, who took office on July 30, 1998. The LDP formed a governing coalition with the Liberal Party in January 1999, and Keizo Obuchi remained prime minister. The LDP-Liberal coalition expanded to include the New Komeito Party in October 1999. Prime Minister Obuchi suffered a stroke in April 2000 and was replaced by Yoshiro Mori. After the Liberal Party left the coalition in April 2000, Prime Minister Mori welcomed a Liberal Party splinter group, the New Conservative Party, into the ruling coalition. The three-party coalition made up of the LDP, New Komeito, and the Conservative Party maintained its majority in the Diet following the June 2000 Lower House elections. After a turbulent year in office in which he saw his approval ratings plummet to the single digits, Prime Minister Mori agreed to hold early elections for the LDP presidency in order to improve his party's chances in crucial July 2001 Upper House elections. On April 24, 2001, riding a wave of grassroots desire for change, maverick politician Junichiro Koizumi defeated former Prime Minister Hashimoto and other party stalwarts on a platform of economic and political reform. Koizumi was elected as Japan's 87th Prime Minister on April 26, 2001. On October 11, 2003, the Prime Minister Koizumi dissolved the lower house after he was re-elected as the president of the LDP. (See Japan general election, 2003) Japan's Political Parties Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) The LDP is Japan's largest political party and the senior partner in the current governing coalition. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is a member of this political party. It is a conservative party of the right-wing and is made up of various conservative and reformist factions. The LDP has been in power almost continuosly since 1955, when it was formed as a merger of early postwar Japan's two conservative parties, the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party. The party is characterized as being very conservative on matters, pro-American, and unopposed to the war in Iraq. It is also for pension reform. Democratic Party of Japan The DPJ is Japan's second largest party and leads the opposition. It is a liberal and almost social-democratic party of the center-left. It is the largest opposition party, and was formed in the late 1990 as a result of the merger of several anti-LDP parties. Quite liberal and oppositional on key issues, as well as moderatly social-democratic. Anti-Iraq, and neutral on the American issue. It is led by Katsuya Okada. It is against the pension reform. New Clean Government Party The New Komeito Party (Japanese name for the Clean Government Party) is Japan's third largest party and the governing party's junior partner. The party is a conservative party of the right-wing, but it is also the political wing of Soka Gakkai, an almost militant Buddhist sect of Nichiren Buddhism. Therefore, it is also considered a theocratic Buddhist party. It has moderated its stance however. It is pro-Iraq, pro-American, and pro-pension. It is led by Takenori Kanzaki. Japanese Communist Party The Japanese Communist Party is Japan's fourth largest party and the middle partner of the opposition coalition. It is a moderate communist party of the left-wing. Though it is communist, it is a very moderate communist party, and is not against religion and does not want the emperor to step down. It can cooperate in a multi-party democracy and will not pose any radical change to Japan. That is why the Communists have more seats than the Social Democratic Party (Japan). It is anti-Iraq, anti-American, and anti-pension. Social Democratic Party (Japan) The Social Democratic Party of Japan is Japan's fifth largest party and the junior partner in the opposition coalition. It is a moderate social-democratic party of the left-wing. It is seen more as a moderate social-democratic, and populist party rather than a revolutionary socialist party. It is not popular in Japan and the Communists have more votes than the Social Democrats. It is anti-Iraq, anti-American, and anti-pension, almost isolationist. Minor Political Parties not Represented in Parliament Liberal League The Liberal League of Japan is a center party which is asically conservative. It is not popular, but its ideas appeal to many Japanese. The Liberal League is not represented in Parliament, and many believe it should join the conservative LDP. Nazi Party of Japan Japan's Nazi Party, very small, and anti-political. The Nazi Party is anti-American, anti-Iraq, isolationist, and anti-gaijin (foreigner). The Nazi Party is very small, unorganized, and is just about defunct. Okinawa's Social Masses Party A party of the center-left. It is a socialist party which stresses Okinawan autonomy and is based primarily on Okinawa. Though it is not a separatist party, it is Okinawan nationalist and stresses autonomy. It has moderated its stance heavily, however. New Harbinger Party A conservative reformist party of the center-right. It was in several coalition governments in the 1990's but has since just about gone defunct. It is no longer represented in Parliament. Independent's Party A center-right political party which was represented in Parliament before the 2001 elections as a party of no stance towards anything, an independent party of sorts. It is no longer represented, however, because of loosing its 4 seats in the 2001 elections to the LDP. NOTE: Japan has other minor parties, but these are just about defunct. Most of the remainder are various communist and socialist parties with no voice. There are also centrist nationalist parties and also ecologist parties. These are all just about defunct, however. Other facts Independence: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu) Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the\nSupreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations References Cabinet Secretariat, Office of Cabinet Public Relations, Japan (2003). Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. Retrieved 28 Oct. 2003 (GMT+9) from http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/index-e.html\n"Hoshu Shinto to merge with LDP". The Asahi Shimbun (Web, English). 11 November 2003. http://www.asahi.com/english/politics/TKY200311110147.html\nThe Japan Times Online (2003). Japan Times - Cabinet Listings. Retrieved 28 Oct. 2003 (GMT+9) from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cabinets.htm See also: \nPrime Minister of Japan\nJapanese Foreign minister\nJapan general election, 2003\nSakigake\n\n\n\nCategory:Japanese politics
	"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C', the idea must be feasible." - A Yale University management professor in response to student Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)