List of political parties in Japan explained

In Japan, any organization that supports a candidate needs to register itself as a political party. Each of these parties have some local or national influence.[1] This article lists political parties in Japan with representation in the National Diet, either in the House of Representatives (lower house) or in the House of Councillors (upper house). The article also mentions political parties within the nation that either used to be within representation, or parties that currently are.

Current parties

Main parties

PartyLeaderIdeologyNational DietGovernors
RepresentativesCouncillors
style=background:  Fumio Kishida
style=background:  Kenta IzumiLiberalism
Social liberalism
style=background:  Nobuyuki Baba
style=background:  Natsuo Yamaguchi
style=background:  Tomoko TamuraCommunism
Progressivism
style=background:  Yuichiro TamakiConservatism
style=background:  Tarō YamamotoProgressivism
Left-wing populism
style=background:  Seiji MaeharaFree education
Pacifism
style=background:  Mizuho FukushimaSocial democracy
Progressivism
style=background:  
Sanseitō
Sohei KamiyaJapanese nationalism
Right-wing populism

Legal status as a political party (seitō) is tied to having five members in the Diet or at least two percent nationally of either proportional or local vote in the last Representatives or one of the last two Councillors elections. Political parties receive public party funding (¥ 250 per citizen, about ¥ 32 bill. in total per fiscal year, distributed according to recent national elections results – last HR general and last two HC regular elections – and Diet strength on January 1), are allowed to concurrently nominate candidates for the House of Representatives in an electoral district and on a proportional list, may take political donations from legal persons, i.e. corporations, and other benefits such as air time on public broadcaster NHK.[2]

Local parties

Under Japanese law, all of the parties below are "political organizations" (seiji dantai), not "political parties" (seitō, see above).

Parties represented in prefectural assemblies

Other parties represented in local councils

Other parties

Current political parties that used to be in the Diet but are not currently represented:

Japan has other minor parties not represented in Parliament (which have never been represented before), some are new, others with communist and socialist ideologies, as well as a few nationalist, reformist, and far-right parties. Some of them include:

Defunct parties

Former major parties

Others

See also: Political parties of the Empire of Japan.

Pre- and early constitutional era

Empire of Japan until 1940

Socialist and labour movement

See also: Proletarian parties in Japan, 1925–1932.

In 1940, all remaining political parties with the exception of the Tōhōkai became part of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association or were banned.

Postwar Japan

Note: Postwar parties often give themselves "English" names which sometimes differ significantly from translations of their Japanese names.

LDP precursor and breakaway parties
JSP breakaway parties
Other NFP and DPJ precursor and breakaway parties
Others
Political parties in U.S. Okinawa

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Japan - Political parties. Encyclopedia Britannica. en. 2020-01-05.
  2. Laws regulating political parties include the (Public Offices Election Act), the (Political Funds Control Act) and the (Political Parties Subsidies Act). (Note: Translations have no legal effect and are by definition "unofficial" .) Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: s/index.html General information and published reports about political party funding (In Japanese)
  3. Web site: Failed in Japan . How Socialism . How socialism and the left wing failed in Japan . www.japantimes.co.jp . 30 December 2019 . Masahiko Fukada . 4 May 2022.
  4. Web site: of Japanese Politics . The Greening of . 24 June 2016 . The Greening of Japanese Politics? . 4 May 2022 . www.nippon.com . Winifred Bird.
  5. http://www.ainu-org.jp/english/index.html Ainu Party
  6. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111031a5.html
  7. http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1029/TKY201110290538.html
  8. The Democratic Party of Japan is widely described as centrist:
  9. Hunter, p.4
  10. Web site: . 2012-11-19 . http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/1119/TKY201211190632.html . ja:新党「反TPP」結成 代表に山田氏、亀井氏は幹事長 . 2012-11-20.