JAPANESE POLITICAL SYSTEM
Contents
Unlike the American political system [click here] and the British political system [click here] which essentially have existed in their current form for centuries, the current Japanese political system is a much more recent construct dating from Japan's defeat in the Second World War and its subsequent occupation by the United States. The post-war constitution of 1947 is an anti-militarist document which includes the renunciation of the right to wage war and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces although later a limited self-defence force was permitted.
The constitution was drawn up under the Allied occupation. It is a rigid document and, since its adoption, no major amendment has been made to it.
Unquestionably Japan is a democratic country, but it is a very different kind of democracy to that prevailing in most of Europe in countries like France [click here] and Germany [click here]. The main reason for this is the dominant position of one party – the Liberal Democratic Party – which held power almost unbroken for more than 50 years.
Japan is a constitutional monarchy (like Britain) where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". This is a dramatic contrast to the situation prior to Japan's wartime defeat by the Americans when the Emperor was regarded as divine.
The Prime Minister is chosen for a term of four years, although the political turbulence of the Japanese system is such that he rarely serves a full term. He must win a majority in the Diet in a single signed ballot. If the two houses cannot reach agreement, the decision of the House of Representatives always prevails. The official residence of the Prime Minister is called the Kantei (a new building was opened in 2002).
Naoto Kan of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) currently serves as the Prime Minister. He is Japan's fifth Prime Minister in less than four years.
The Prime Minister choses his Cabinet which is limited by a constitutional amendment of 2001 to an additional 14 regular members with the possibility of three special members. At least half of the Cabinet must be members of the Diet.
The Japanese legislature is called the Kokkai or Diet and is a bicameral structure. Generally decisions are made on a majority vote, but a two-thirds majority is required in special cases.
The lower house in the Japanese political system is the Shugi-in or House of Representatives. It has 480 seats and members serve a four-year term, although only once since the war has a full term been served (the average is two and a half years). Of the 480 seats, 300 are elected from single-member constituencies and the other 180 are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a system of proportional representation. The House of Representatives has preeminence over the House of Councillors and can pass a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet as a whole. The House of Representatives can be dissolved by the Prime Minister (like the British House of Commons) or by a Cabinet no confidence vote.
The upper house in the Japanese political system is the Sangi-in or House of Councillors. It has 242 seats and members serve a six-year term. Only half of its membership is re-elected at each election every three years, using a parallel voting system. Of the 121 members subject to election each time, 73 are elected from the 47 prefectural districts by the single transferable vote method and 48 are elected from a nationwide list by proportional representation. This element of proportional representation was introduced in 1982 in an effort to combat the effect of huge sums of money being spent on election campaigns. The House of Councillors cannot be dissolved.
If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the Prime Minister, the House of Representatives can insist on its decision. In all other decisions (such as the passage of a Bill), the House of Representatives can override a vote of the House of Councillors only by a two-thirds majority of members present.
Traditionally the Japanese political system has been dominated by one party in a manner unknown in the democracies of Europe and North America. That party is the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Since its founding in 1955, it has been in power at all times, except for a short-lived coalition government formed from opposition parties for 11 months in 1993 and for the present administration which was elected in August 2009. Before the last election, it had 300 seats - typical of the dominant position which it has usually held - but now it only has 119.
The other main party is the social liberal Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). It was formed in 1998 from a merger of four previously independent parties that were opposed to the ruling LDP. In the general election of August 2009, it stormed to victory, taking 308 of the 480 seats. It was already the largest party in the House of Councillors, so now it controls both Houses.
Public funding of political parties was introduced in 1994.
Turnout in elections is low, especially among young voters.
Historically the dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan's political system has profoundly shaped the nature of politics in this country compared to other democracies. Since there was effectively no scope for changing the party in power, the conflicts - frequently very bitter - have been more within the LDP rather than between political parties. As a result, an elaborate and all-pervasive system of factions operates in the LDP. This effects both houses of the Diet, but the House of Representatives more than the House of Councillors.
The factions are based on individuals as much as on policies, usually veteran members of the LDP, many of them former or aspirant Prime Ministers. The number and size of the factions are constantly varying. The number has ranged from six to 13, while membership (counting those in both houses) has fluctuated from as few as four members to as many as 120.
There are currently five major factions in the LDP. While most factions have official titles, in the Japanese media they are usually referred to by the names of their current leaders. In descending order of influence, the five most powerful factions are:
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) does have some factions, or groups as they are more commonly called, but the party is not as factionalised as the LDP which has traditionally placed high priority on intra-party factional alignment
A notable feature of Japanese politics is the influence of family connections. Many members of parliament are the child or grandchild of former Kokkai (or Diet) members, usually LDP members. The current Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama typifies this tradition: his grandfather was the first LDP Prime Minister in 1954-56, his father was once LDP Foreign Secretary, he inherited his father's seat in Hokkaido in 1986, and his younger brother was a member of the last LDP Government.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. The Chief Justice is appointed by the Emperor following selection by the Cabinet. Fourteen other judges are selected and appointed by the Cabinet.
Every 10 years, a justice's tenure has to be confirmed by referendum. In practice, the justices are almost always reselected and are allowed to serve until the age of 70.
Historically the Supreme Court has played a low-key role, avoiding controversy and maintaining the status quo. As a result, individual members of the Court are virtually unknown to the general public.
Since the late 19th century, the Japanese judicial system has been largely based on European civil law, notably that of France and Germany. With post-World War II modifications, this legal code remains in effect in present-day Japan.
The Japanese political system is very different from those of the western democracies, although the institutions may initially look similar.
The Kokkai or Diet has little real authority; traditionally the factions within the Liberal Democratic Party have been more important than the other political parties; Cabinet meetings are brief and largely ceremonial; and the Prime Minister is weaker than his counterpart in other democracies and usually has a relatively brief tenure in office. Power in Japanese society is wielded less by politicians and more by civil servants and industrialists.
However, the general election of August 2009 has changed things. Now that the Liberal Democratic Party is in opposition with only a quarter of the seats in the lower house and the Democratic Party of Japan is the government with a substantial majority, one can expect profound differences in the conduct of Japanese politics. Having said that, many observers feel that the power of the established civil service bureacracy and the deep economic problems facing the nation mean that in practice the changes in policy will not be as major as the election result might have suggested.
Meanwhile there are some moves in Japan for the constitution to be revised so that it becomes “a normal country” able to maintain and deploy military forces. Many in Japan are keen for its economic power to be reflected now in the political structures of the United Nations with the country admitted to permanent membership of the Security Council.
ROGER DARLINGTON
Last modified on 9 July 2010
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