Japan has a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy system of government. The Emperor is the symbolic head of state, while executive power is held by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Legislative power is shared between the upper House of Councillors and lower House of Representatives. The longest-ruling party is the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, though other major parties include the center-left Democratic Party of Japan. The judicial system is based on civil law and independent courts have the power of judicial review.

1. Politics of Japan
Benedict (Viktor) Gombocz

2. Geography of Japan
 Location: Eastern Asia, an island
chain between the North Pacific
Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east
of the Korean Peninsula
 Area - includes Bonin Islands
(Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima,
Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto):
 Total: 377,915 sq km
 Country comparison to the world:
62
 Land: 364,485 sq km
 Water: 13,430 sq km
 Area – comparative: Slightly
smaller than California

3. Japan: Physical map and Tokyo

4. Introducing Japan’s political
system
 The Japanese political system is carried out in a structure of a
parliamentary representative democratic monarchy in which the
PM heads the government and the head of the Cabinet that
supervises the executive branch.
 Legislative power is vested in the Diet, which comprises the
House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.
 Japan’s politics encompasses the system of multiple parties.
 The judicial authority is vested in the Supreme Court and lower
courts.
 In scholarly reviews, Japan is by and large regarded as a
constitutional monarchy with a structure of civil law.
 Japan’s constitution identifies the emperor as “the symbol of the
state and of the unity of the people.”
 He/she exercises official responsibilities and does not hold real
power, much less reserve powers.
 Political power is held largely by the PM and other elected
officials of the Diet.
 The Imperial Throne is succeeded by an official of the Imperial
House of Japan as designated by the law.
 Sovereignty is vested in the people of Japan under the
constitution.
 While his official status is debated, the Emperor, on
ambassadorial occasions, tends to act as the head of state (with
prevalent public support).

5. Introducing Japan’s political system –
cont.
 The PM, who is the executive branch’s leader, is nominated by the Emperor
as directed by the Diet.
 He/she must be an affiliate of either house of the Diet and a resident.
 The Cabinet members are appointed by the PM; they must likewise be
residents.
 Since the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled Japan, it has been
tradition that the leader of that party serves as PM.
 The Cabinet is grouped of the PM and ministers of state, and is liable to the
Diet.
 The PM has the authority to nominate and dismiss the ministers, of whom a
majority must be affiliates of the Diet.
 Between 1955-2009, the liberal-conservative LDP governed Japan,
excluding a very brief coalition government created from the concurring
opposition parties in 1993; in the late 1990s and the late 2000s, the biggest
opposition party was the social liberal Democratic Party of Japan.

6. Government of Japan
 Capital (and largest city): Tokyo
 Official languages: None
 National language: Japanese
 Demonym: Japanese
 Government: Unitary
parliamentary democracy under
constitutional monarchy
 Emperor: Akihito
 Prime Minister: Shinzō Abe
 Legislature: National Diet
 Upper house: House of
Councillors
 Lower house: House of
Representatives

7. Japan’s political system: Emperor
 The Emperor of Japan is the formal monarch in the
Japanese constitutional monarchy and leads the
Japanese Imperial Family.
 According to the 1947 constitution, which suspended
the Empire of Japan, he/she is “the symbol of the
state and of the unity of the people.”
 Emperor Akihito is the current emperor.
 According to the constitution’s articles 6 and 7, the
emperor has the following nominal powers:
 to nominate PM as chosen by the Diet.
 to nominate the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as
chosen by the Cabinet.
 to promulgate constitution, regulations, government orders,
and treaties with the guidance and consent of the Cabinet.
 to convoke the Diet with the guidance and consent of the
Cabinet.
 to dissolve the House of Representatives with the guidance
and consent of the Cabinet.
 to proclaim the general election of the Diet with the
guidance and consent of the Cabinet.
 to indicate Ministers of State with the guidance and consent
of the Cabinet.
 to grant pardons with the guidance and consent of the
Cabinet.
 to grant honors with the guidance and consent of the
Cabinet.
 to receive foreign ambassadors with the guidance and
consent of the Cabinet.

8. Japan’s political system: Legislative
Branch
 In Japan’s political system, the House of Councillors is the upper
house of the Japanese Diet, which comprises 242 affiliates.
 The term of office for the elected officials to the upper house is six
years.
 The House of Representatives, the lower house, is the more
powerful house in the Diet with 480 affiliates; the term of office for
this house is restricted to four years.
 Japanese citizens, who have attained the age of 20, may partake in
the election procedure on account of widespread adult franchise.
 The minimum age of election to the House of Representatives is 25;
the minimum age of election to the House of Councillors is 30.

9. Japan’s political system: Executive
Branch
 As head of the Cabinet, PMs lead
the executive branch.
 The PM is named by the Emperor
of Japan after he/she is elected
by the Diet affiliates.
 In order to remain in this post, the
PM is required to have the
confidence from the House of
Representatives.
 He/she names and discharge the
Ministers of State; the exact
translation of the Japanese name
for the post of PM is the Minister
for the Comprehensive
Administration of the Cabinet or
Minister that Presides over the
Cabinet.
 Shinzō Abe is the current PM of
Japan since 26 December 2012.

10. Japan’s political system: Judicial Branch
 In Japan, the judiciary is independent.
 With the consent of the PM and the cabinet, the Emperor names the higher
judicial affiliates.
 The judicial system of Japan – based on customary law, civil law, and Anglo-
American common law – comprises numerous levels of courts; the Supreme
Court is the absolute judicial power.
 The Constitution of Japan, which was approved on 3 May 1947, includes a bill
of rights resembling the United States Bill of Rights; the Supreme Court has
the right of judicial review.
 Courts in Japan use a modified jury structure where there is neither
administrative nor claims courts.
 Because of the judicial structure’s basis, the court’s decisions are made in line
with legal decrees.
 It is only Supreme Court decisions that have any direct outcome on later
interpretation of the law.
 In Japan, there exist five kinds of courts: Supreme Court, High Court, District
Court, Family Court, and Summary Court.

11. Japan’s political system: Major
parties
 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
Jiyū Minshu-tō 自由民主党,
or Jimin-tō 自民党
 Democratic Party of Japan
(DPJ) Minshu-tō 民主党
("Democratic Party")
 Japan Restoration Party (JRP)
Nippon Ishin no Kai 日本維新の
会
 New Komeito (NKP) Kōmeitō 公
明党
("Clean Government",
"Fairness" or "Justice Party")

12. Liberal Democratic Party
 Commonly abbreviated to LDP,
Jimintō (自民党) or Lib Dems; right of
centre conservative political party in
Japan.
 Is one of the most consistently
successful political parties in the world.
 Has governed Japan since its founding
in 1955, with the exception of a short
period from 1993-1994, and between
2009-2012; reclaimed control of
government in the 2012 general
election.
 Has 294/480 seats in the House of
Representatives and 83/242 seats in
the House of Councillors.
 Is not to be mistaken for the now
extinct Liberal Party (自由党, Jiyūtō),
which merged with the Democratic
Party of Japan, the biggest opposition
party, in November 2003.

13. Democratic Party of Japan
 Centre-left political party in Japan; founded
on 8 January 1998 with the merger of
various opposition parties.
 Became the governing party in the House of
Representatives after the 2009 general
election; defeated the long ruling Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) and took the biggest
number of seats in both the House of
Representatives and the House of
Councillors.
 After winning a landslide victory in 2009, it
was expelled from government by the LDP in
the 2012 general election, but it kept 57
seats in the House of Representatives; still
had 88 seats in the House of Councillors.
 Implemented numerous progressive
measures including the provision of free
public education through high school and
raises in child rearing subsidies.
 Is not to be mistaken with the now extinct
Japan Democratic Party that merged with
the Liberal Party to found the Liberal
Democratic Party; is also different from
another Democratic Party, which was
founded in 1947 and dissolved in 1950.

14. The End (終わり)