Janapese Legislature (Diet)
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Bicameral System
– Upper House is the House of Councillors, comprising
appointed members, like the UK's House of Lords
– lower house is the House of Representatives, comprising
of elected members
House of Representatives
– tabling and passing bills
– More powerful than House of Councillors
– If a bill is passed by the H/R, but is not by the H/C, the
H/R can override the decision of the other chamber by a
two-thirds vote. In the case of treaties, the budget, and
the selection of the prime minister, however, the House
of Councillors can only delay passage, but not block the
legislation.
Janapese Diet
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House of Councillors
480 members, 4-year
terms
– 180 are elected from 11
multi-member
constituencies by
proportional
representation
– 300 are elected from
single-member
constituencies.
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House of Representatives
Lower house, but more
powerful
121 members total, 6-year
terms
– 73 are elected from the
47 prefectural districts
– 48 are elected from a
nationwide list by
proportional
representation.
– 6-year terms
エグゼクティブ
(Executive)
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Reports to the Diet (legislature).
Prime Minister
– chief of executive, appointed by emperor as directed by
the Diet
– Must be a member of either house of the Diet and a
civilian.
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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.
人口統計学
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(Demographics!!)
Population: around 128 million
Area: 377,835 sq km
Age Structure:
– 0-14 14.64%
– 15-64 67.83%
– 65 and up 17.53%
Life Expectancy: 80.8 years
– 77.62 males
– 84.15 women
Birth rate: 10.04 births/1,000 population
Literacy: 99%
Nationality: Japanese
Ethnic groups: Japanese 99.4%
– Korean 0.6%
Religions: Shinto & Buddhist 84%
– Other 16% (Christian 0.7%)
National Holiday: Birthday of Emperor Akihito, December 23
Capital: Tokyo
Independence: 660 B.C.E.
Government Type: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Currency: Yen
GDP (PPP): 4.220 trillion
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裁判 !!
(Judiciary)
Courts
– Supreme Court
– 8 high courts
– 50 district courts
– 50 family courts
– 438 summary courts
Supreme Court judges are appointed by the cabinet and subject
to approval of the people at the time of the next general election
& every 10 years after.
Chief Judge of Supreme Court is “designated” by the cabinet and
“appointed” by the emperor.
Courts have judicial review but rather reluctant to strike down
legislation
Six Codes: six main legal codes and thus the main body of
Japanese statutory law in Japan.
私
は
日
Political
Culture 本
in
語
Japan を
話
す
High
voter turnout
Very politically aware
Urban citizens more politically
aware then rural citizens
Rural citizens are more active
and participate more in politics
then urban citizens
More likely to participate with
abstract means then concrete
High efficacy but low optimism
and satisfaction
More involved in local affairs
People vote based on a
candidate’s qualities
Personal connections are
instrumental in elections
Late History
1600s-Current
日本の歴史
(Japanese History)
The Edo Period: 1603-1867
•1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu brings Japan under his rule. First of the Tokugawa
dynasty of Shoguns. Ruled Japan for 250 Years. Sets up Capitol in Edo (modern
Day Tokyo)
•1636 Christianity Banned, Edo’s Population 1 Million. Largest city in the world at
that time. Japan Adopts policy of isolation and closes borders and ports.
Imperial Restoration
•Changes in the economy during the Tokugawa period wrought hardship on many
of the Samurai and Peasants.
•Ideas of the divine origin of state and the Imperial Dynasty led to the idea that the
Emperor should be restored to his rightful positions above the Soguns.
•1853 Commodore Mathew Perry brings message from the U.S to order Japan to
open its borders.
Russo-Japanese War
New conflicts of interests in Korea and Manchuria, this time between Russia and Japan, led to the
Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05. The Japanese army also won this war gaining territory and finally
some international respect. Japan further increased her influence on Korea and annexed her
completely in 1910. In Japan, the war successes caused nationalism to increase even more, and
other Asian nations also started to develop national self confidence.
Pre WWII
The early twentieth century saw a brief period of "Taisho democracy"
overshadowed by the rise of Japanese expansionism and militarization. World
War I enabled Japan, which joined the side of the victorious Allies, to expand its
influence and territorial holdings. Japan continued its expansionist policy by
occupying Manchuria in 1931. As a result of international condemnation for this
occupation, Japan resigned from the League of Nations two years later. In 1936,
Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany, joining the Axis Powers
in 1941.
世界大戦2
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States naval base in Pearl Harbor
and declared war on the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
This act brought the United States into World War II. After the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, along with the Soviet Union joining the war against
it, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender on August 15 (V-J Day).[20] The war
cost Japan millions of lives and left much of the country's industry and infrastructure
destroyed
•Population of 127,463,611 (July 2006 est.)
•Age structure:
•0-14 years: 14.2%
•15-64 years: 65.7%
•65 years and over: 20%
•Birth rate: 9.37 births/1,000 population
•Death rate: 9.16 deaths/1,000 population
•Infant mortality Rate: 3.24 deaths/ 1,000 live births
•Life expectancy: Male:78 years
Female:85 years
•Religion: 84% observe both Shinto and Buddhist. 16% other minorities
such as Christian (.7%)
•Literacy rate: Total Population: 99%
Male:99%
Female:99%
•Japan has a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
system of democracy rather than a presidential system.
•Chief Executive (Prime Minister) is elected by the legislature,
not the people.
•Chief Executive has power to dissolve the House of
Representatives and bring about an election for new members.
•Two principal political issues are constitutional revision and
electoral reform. Even though the text of the Japanese
constitution has not once been altered, proposals for amendments
have been constantly at the fore.
•Japan does not have a permanent seat in UN Security Council.
•Has two houses of Parliament (the Diet).
•Emperor serves has head of state, and Chief Executive serves as
head of government.
•House of Councillors or Sangi-in
•242 seats. Members elected
for six year terms; half
reelected every three years.
•House of Representatives of
Shugi-in.
•480 seats. Members elected for
four year terms.
•146 members in multi-seat
constituencies.
•300 members in single seat
constituencies.
•96 by proportional
representation.
•180 members by proportional
representation.
•11 members by regional blocs.
•Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Jiyū Minshū-tō, or Jimin-tō
•Largest political party in Japan.
•Current Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is a member of LDP.
•Is a conservative party (ew).
•Has been in power almost continuously since 1955.
•Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Minshūtō
•Second largest party and leads opposition.
•It is a social liberal party (yay!).
•Was formed in the late 1990s.
•Lead by Ichiro Ozawa.
•Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Nihon Kyōsan-tō
•Formed in 1922.
•Fourth largest party in Japan.
•Moderate communist party with a left-wing leaning.
•It supports multi-party democracy and does not advocate the
imposition of radical change on Japanese society.
• Other Parties!
•New Clean Government Party Komeitō (conservative, theocratic,
Buddhist, 1998-)
•Social Democratic Party (SDP) Shakai Minshūtō, or Shamin-tō (socialist,
1996-)
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, students should be able to
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describe the significant relationships between Japan’s economy
and its governing parties
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identify “new” groups within Japanese society that are
contending for power, influence, and rights
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outline arguments for and against the assertion that Japan’s
political system is democratic
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describe the roles of “groupism” and “individualism” in
Japanese political culture
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identify factors that helped make the LDP Japan’s dominant
political party
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describe Japan’s parliamentary electoral system
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explain the components of Japan’s “iron triangle”
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describe the relationships among the 3 groups constituting the
“iron triangle”
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explain how the operation of the “iron triangle” facilitated the
economic growth before 1990
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identify the reasons why the “iron triangle” has been less
successful in promoting economic success in the past two
decades