Government

Government

Japan adopted its current constitution in 1947. The Japanese constitution established the country as a constitutional monarchy. This means that Japan is a democracy where the people rule indirectly through their representatives in the Diet, the Japanese Parliament. The constitution gives all citizens 20 years of age and older the right to vote. Under the constitution, the emperor has almost no power. Instead, he serves as a symbol of the country. The emperor, however, does appoint key public officials like the prime minister and chief justice. This is only a formality, however, and not a political requirement. This situation is much like the role of the royal family in the United Kingdom. An important national holiday in Japan is the emperor’s birthday. 

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT 

Japan has three branches of government: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Japan’s legislative branch of government is called the Diet. The Diet has the power to make laws in Japan. This body has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Each of these houses is independent of the other and the members of each are elected directly by the citizens. The House of Councillors,or Sangi-in,has 252 members.Of these,100 are elected by the nation as a whole and 152 are elected by voters in smaller districts. The members of the House of Councillors must be at least 30 years old.They serve 6-year terms. The House of Representatives, or Shugi-in, is larger than the House of Councillors.There are 480 members in the House of Representatives and they serve 4-year terms unless the government is dissolved earlier.If dissolved,there must be new elections for the House of Representatives within 40 days. In elections, 300 of the members are elected from single-member districts and the other 180 are elected from 11 regions around the country who gain their seats based on a proportional basis of the votes cast. Members of the House of Representatives must be at least 25 years old. Bills become laws after they are passed by both houses of the Diet. The House of Representatives controls the national budget and approves treaties. Most other matters can be raised in either of the two houses. The executive branch of the government is headed by the prime minister.The prime minister is responsible for administering the laws of Japan and for managing foreign affairs, making treaties, and preparing the budget that the Diet reviews. One of the major responsibilities of the Diet is to elect the prime minister. The prime minister must be a member of the Diet. In fact, the leader of the majority party in the Diet is usually the person who serves as prime minister. Prime ministers have no limits placed on the length of time they can serve in office. One served for almost 12 years. However, the prime minister can be removed with a no-confidence vote in the Diet. This can greatly shorten a prime minister’s term.One only held office for 54 days! Since World War II,most of the prime ministers have come from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). This party has held power since 1955 with the exception of a 3-year stretch in the mid-1990s.During this time the LDP was removed from office because of a major corruption scandal that tainted the government and the party. The prime minister selects members of the Cabinet to help govern the country. Under the constitution, a majority of Cabinet members must be members of the Diet. Cabinet members also must be civilians. This is to prevent the military from gaining too much power as it did before World War II. The judicial branch of government is responsible for interpreting the laws of the country.The Supreme Court is the highest court in Japan.This court is headed by a chief justice and several lesser justices.Today,there are 15 members serving on the court. The chief justice of the Supreme Court is recommended by the Cabinet and appointed by the emperor. The emperor’s appointment is only a formality; the emperor does not have real political power. All other Supreme Court judges are appointed directly by the Cabinet. The Supreme Court is the court of last resort. This means that its decisions are final and there are no other appeals that can be made. Therefore, it is empowered to rule on the constitutionality of any laws, orders, or actions. Other types of courts fall below the Supreme Court. These include the high courts that are directly under the Supreme Court. Under the high courts are the family courts and district courts.The lowest court level is the summary court.Cases from any of the lower courts can be appealed to a higher court by the side that is dissatisfied with the lower court’s decision. Japan’s constitution provides the groundwork for local government in the country. Japan is divided into 47 districts, called prefectures. Beneath these are over 3,000 local governments at the town, village, and city level. Like most local governments in the world, Japan’s local governments deal with important issues that lie close to home, such as garbage collection, healthcare, and schools.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

 Japan’s constitution provides an element that is not found in other such documents.The constitution states that “the Japanese people forever renounce war as a right of the sovereign nation.” Because of the horror ofWorld War II and the damage caused by nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan renounced war forever. The constitution further provides that Japan shall maintain no land,sea,or air forces.This section of the constitution is often challenged when Japan faces threats by other forces. For example, the Japanese became upset when North Korea test fired a missile that traveled directly over the islands of Japan.China and Japan also have a tenuous history that could promote Japan remilitarizing. Presently Japan depends on the United States to defend its security as pledged in the United States-Japan Security Treaty of 1951. Even with this agreement, many Japanese are uncertain whether the United States would actually step in and defend Japan. Whether Japan changes its constitution and removes the Renunciation of War section will be an issue that will be followed with interest by the rest of the world. Japan was isolated during much of its history. This is no longer the case. Today Japan is widely engaged in activities around the planet. It is a major economic power and political power with influence regionally and globally. Japan is now a major trading power with most other nations in the world. Its major trading partners are the United States, China, European Union, Australia, South Korea, and nations in Southeast Asia. Politically, Japan is a member of many international organizations and has signed many significant international agreements. Simply put,Japan is a major player in the world today. Japan has been an active member of the United Nations since 1956.It has served on the important Security Council and has contributed to various United Nations collective security actions,such as mine sweeping in the Persian Gulf and sending peacekeeping forces to Cambodia. Its role in promoting peace and international security has increased in recent years. An example of Japan’s new leadership is found in its hosting of the Kyoto Protocol in December of 1997. Nations from around the world came together to meet in the Japanese city of Kyoto to discuss the problem of global warming. They signed an agreement called the Kyoto Protocol, which establishes a formula for how much gaseous pollution developed countries can emit into the atmosphere. Since World War II,Japan has again become a leader among countries. Its economy and foreign policy link it to other countries around the world. The country was on a political and economic roller coaster ride during the 20th century with many frightening ups and downs. Now it is a democratic society that has regained the respect of the world.