Political parties in Japan

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In the post-war period Japan had a pluralistic multi-party system with one dominant party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) , which has been in power since its foundation in 1955 with only two interruptions (1993–94 and 2009–12 ).

In the 1990s, the party system was revolutionized when, on the one hand, many LDP members left the party and founded new parties and, on the other hand, the largest opposition party to date, the Socialist Party of Japan (SPJ), continued to lose ground and then during one (initially large ) Coalition with the LDP to a small party shrank. After numerous party reshuffles, the Democratic Party became a reservoir for the opposition. In 2009 she finally succeeded in taking over the lower house majority and governance, but quickly lost its popularity and in 2010 the upper house majority. In 2012 she was voted out of office in a landslide. Numerous MPs left the party during and after her reign, and party divisions and associations later followed.

The two largest opposition parties are (as of August 2019) the more liberal Constitutional Democratic Party (KDP) and the more conservative Democratic People's Party (DVP), which want to work together in joint parliamentary groups in both chambers of parliament from autumn 2019. Other opposition parties that emerged during the breakup of the Democratic Party are the national-conservative-regionalist Nippon Ishin no Kai , which brings together former Democrats and Liberal Democrats, and the now tiny, more economically liberal Kibō no Tō ("Party of Hope"). In addition, there are three more or less continuously existing parties, two larger ones, the Communist Party of Japan (KPJ), which was continuously in opposition, and the Kōmeitō , the political arm of the Buddhist organization Sōka Gakkai , which has belonged to the government coalition of the LDP since 1999, as well as the one in the meantime very small Social Democratic Party (SDP), the successor to the SPJ. Parties with legal party status that have been represented in the national parliament since 2019 are the left-wing Reiwa Shinsengumi of Tarō Yamamoto and the NHK kara kokumin o mamoru tō , which rejects Japan's public broadcaster, the NHK , in its current form.

History before 1945

Meiji period

After the Meiji Restoration , the first political parties from the “Movement for Freedom and People's Rights” began to form in opposition to the so-called “ Meiji Oligarchy ”. The oldest political party in Japan was the Public Society of Patriots ( aikoku kōtō ), founded in 1874. A short time later, the Liberal Party ( jiyūtō ) was founded in 1881 . With the establishment of the Reichstag , one of the movement's main demands was met. The resulting groupings were the nucleus for the parties in parliament. On July 1, 1890, the first elections to the House of Commons took place, which were also the first elections in an Asian country.

The parties initially had little influence on the government and conflicts, especially over the budget, led to several dissolutions of the lower house but also to changes of government through resignations. Itō Hirobumi , himself one of the most important representatives of the “Meiji oligarchy” and Prime Minister for the second time from 1892 to 1896, soon recognized the need for a party to support the government in parliament, but initially found no support from the Liberal Party (originally: “Constitutional -Liberal Party "), which held around a third of the seats in the House of Commons and, together with the Rikken Kaishintō (" Constitutional Progressive Party "), opposed the government's military spending. It was only after the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894/95 that he found allies in the Liberal Party. In 1900 he founded the Rikken Seiyūkai with officials and the Kenseitō , which had emerged from the Liberal Party and parts of the Progress Party . The party became the dominant party in the lower house for decades.

Taishō period

The parties' influence in the Japanese parliament was rather low, as the parliament's approval was only given in a few areas, e.g. B. the adoption of the budget, was limited and the government was determined extra-parliamentarily by the ruling oligarchs . Only after the Taishō in 1913 developed under public pressure a form of government that was more closely linked to parliament, the so-called "Taishō democracy". During this time, the governments were for the first time occupied by the leaders of the parties represented in parliament in order to strengthen parliament's cooperation with the government. In 1925, the census restrictions on the right to vote , which had already been relaxed several times, were lifted and universal suffrage for men over 25 was introduced.

The most influential parties of the “Taishō democracy” were the Rikken Seiyūkai, the Kenseikai (later: Rikken Minseitō ) and the Rikken Dōshikai - all three civil parties. In addition to the Meiji oligarchies and the military, the large industrial conglomerates ( zaibatsu ) increasingly emerged in the struggle for political influence.

At the same time, after the First World War and the Russian Revolution, the political left began to form in trade unions and associations - but initially without representation in parliament. In 1926 the Workers 'and Peasants' Party ( rōdō-nōmin-tō ) came into being, which was followed by a number of other new foundations and splits. It was not until 1932 that the Shakai Taishūtō ("Socialist Mass Party") emerged, a relatively moderate party that was able to achieve notable success in elections. More radical groups such as the Communist Party of Japan , founded in 1922 , which turned against the empire and capitalism, were persecuted by the state through special laws, waves of arrests and raids and did not achieve a broad social base.

Time of militarism

The increasing influence of the military on the government after the beginning of the Great Depression and the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 reduced the influence of the parties again, the opposition was leveled or eliminated. In particular, after the attack on China in 1937, the domestic political climate worsened.

Right-wing secret societies and nationalist military circles destabilized the party cabinets through attacks and plans for a coup. After the attempted coup on May 15, 1932 , Saitō Makoto's cabinet began the period of the "cabinets of national unity" ( 挙 国 一致 内閣 , kyokoku itchi naikaku ), which marked the end of party rule . The bourgeois parties Seiyūkai and Minseitō responded to the loss of power by calling for a more aggressive foreign policy and being willing to compromise with the military; the Seiyūkai, however, after the formation of the Okada Cabinet in 1934, took an opposition position for some time, but in 1936 lost the lower house majority. The “Socialist Mass Party”, which had opposed Japan's exit from the League of Nations and fought against the influence of the military, did not oppose expansion on the mainland either; in the last pre-war elections in April 1937, she achieved her best election result with 36 out of 466 seats.

After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, many party politicians supported the aggression on the mainland. Laws for the establishment of a “national defense state” and a “new political order” - in short, the subordination of politics and economy to military matters - have now been passed with the consent of the parties, including the 1938 Kokka-sōdōin-hō , the “National Mobilization Act”, which allowed the government to intervene in the private sector. The government was gradually centralized through special powers and new authorities such as the Kikakuin and partially removed from parliamentary control. In October 1940, the creation of the Taisei Yokusankai ("Bund for the Promotion of Imperial Rule") and a unified faction in parliament marked the formal end of the political parties, which - including the socialists, now a majority nationalist-socialist party - dissolved themselves.

The Taisei Yokusankai did not achieve its original goal of completely displacing the old political structures. And in the 1942 Shūgiin election , the only election during the war, the election campaign and the nomination process under the auspices of the Interior Ministry and a commission under Abe Nobuyuki prevented the established politicians of the former parties from using "progressive" or "progressives" as intended by Prime Minister Tōjō "Reformist" ( kakushin ), d. H. loyal, militaristic, candidates would be replaced. And the voters also gave a mandate to 85 candidates without a Yokusan nomination.

After Japan surrendered to the impact of the atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union entered the war , the American occupation authorities, under the direction of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), began building a democratic political order, which was formally defined in the 1947 constitution was committed. New parties were formed as early as 1945, some of which were linked to the parties of the prewar period.

American occupation and post-war era

During the Allied occupation of Japan , the foundations of the party landscape of the post-war period were laid with the formation of new parties and two reforms of the electoral law in 1945 and 1947. After a phase of coalition governments and several party reshuffles, this resulted in the so-called "55 system" in 1955 , which was determined by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as the bourgeois ruling party and the Socialist Party of Japan (SPJ) as the largest opposition party. This system eroded from the 1960s, especially on the part of the SPJ, but remained in its basic structure until the early 1990s.

In a “boom of new parties”, new parties formed from 1992 onwards, which in 1993 led to the loss of power of the LDP and then to the final loss of importance of the SPJ as a reservoir for the opposition. After numerous reforms, the party landscape stabilized temporarily in the 2000s: The LDP returned to government in 1994, but was dependent on a coalition with smaller partners; and the Democratic Party took over as the main opposition party in 1998. After the general election in 2009, it was able to take over the government, but had to give it back to the LDP after the 2012 election and finally broke into several parts.

The conservative parties until the founding of the LDP

Main article: Hoshu Gōdō

The most important of the parties founded in 1945 was the Liberal Party , to which Yoshida Shigeru , the leading post-war politician on the Japanese side, belonged. It followed on from the Rikken Seiyūkai of the pre-war period. In addition, the more liberal-oriented "Progressive Party of Japan" ( Nihon Shimpotō ) arose in connection with the Rikken Minseitō. From it the Democratic Party , the Kaishinto ("Progressive Party") and finally the Democratic Party of Japan emerged. The largest of a number of other bourgeois parties was the 1947 created Kokumin Kyōdōtō ("People's Cooperation Party "), which later merged into the Kaishintō, and had a centrist orientation.

In the so-called "Conservative Fusion" ( hoshu gōdō ) on November 15, 1955, the two remaining parties, the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party of Japan, merged to form the Liberal Democratic Party.

LDP dominance

Main article: Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

The Liberal Democratic Party led Japan in the post-war economic boom and ruled uninterrupted for nearly 38 years from its inception. During this time, the LDP represented a managed market economy (see MITI ), unconditional ties to the West in alliance with the USA, cautious rearmament in the form of self-defense forces and a clientele policy that brought many infrastructure projects to rural areas as well as corruption scandals with it. After losing her participation in the government for almost a year in 1993, she re-appointed the prime minister in 1996, but has ruled continuously in coalition since 1999. In the 2009 general election , the LDP suffered a landslide defeat and was the largest opposition party until the 2012 election .

From 1976 to 1986 there was the "New Liberal Club" ( 新 自由 ク ラ ブ , Shin Jiyū Kurabu ), a split from urban LDP members who left the party due to scandals and called for a reform of the electoral law as well as campaign financing.

The political left

Similar to most western industrialized countries, the political left in Japan can fall back on some of the oldest political organizations. The personal and organizational proximity to the unions is also comparable.

After the first Ampo Tōsō , the left's struggle against the revision of the US-Japanese Security Treaty in 1959/60, the Communist and Socialist Parties worked together in a united front in elections in the 1960s and early 70s, especially at the prefectural and local level. The cooperation called kakushin tōitsu ( 革新 統一 , dt. About "progressive unit") was able to achieve electoral successes especially in large cities, the so-called "progressive regional authorities" ( kakushin jichitai ) also included five large regional authorities at times, which were summarized in the acronym TOKYO: The prefectures of Tokyo (Governor Minobe Ryōkichi , 1967-1979), Osaka ( Kuroda Ryōichi , 1971-1979), Kyōto ( Ninagawa Torazō , 1950-1978) and Okinawa ( Yara Chōbyō , 1972-1976) and the city of Yokohama (Mayor Asukata Ichio , 1963-1978).

The communist party

Main article: Communist Party of Japan

The Communist Party of Japan ( 日本 共産党 , Nihon Kyōsantō , KPJ) was founded underground in 1922. For a long time it strove for a “democratic revolution of the people and a subsequent socialist revolution” and also represented a radical pacifist policy, which included, among other things, the demand for a parliamentary republic in place of the constitutional monarchy. Later, however, the JCP revised large parts of its party program and committed itself to the Japanese constitution and thus also to the emperor in his current role, i.e. H. without being established as head of state and without independent authority in state affairs. It tolerates the existence of the self-defense forces, which it still considers unconstitutional and wants to abolish in the long term, and rejects the military alliance with the USA in the past - or even more so, as the government is pursuing, in armed foreign operations alongside the US and its allies expanded - form.

The Social Democratic Party

Main articles: Socialist Party of Japan , Social Democratic Party (Japan), and Democratic Socialist Party (Japan)

In 1945 the Socialist Party of Japan (SPJ) was founded. It was the largest opposition party until the early 1990s. In 1947 she appointed Katayama Tetsu as prime minister for the first time, but the government soon fell apart in a dispute between the two sides. After an initial phase of split in the 1950s, the more moderate right wing finally left the party in the dispute over the security treaty with the USA and founded the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), which can be seen as the actual representative of Japanese social democracy, in elections but despite their more moderate positions, it was less successful than the Socialist Party. The DSP became part of the Shinshintō in 1994 .

The SPJ changed its name to the Social Democratic Party in 1996 after abandoning some of its radical positions over time. In the 1990s she won government participation and even the prime ministerial office in the government of Tomiichi Murayama , but lost her role as the strongest opposition party in favor of the Shinshinto and finally the Democratic Party . In 2009 she became a small coalition partner in the governing coalition of the Democrats, which she left again in 2010.

Kōmeitō

Main article: Kōmeitō

Some members of the influential Buddhist sect Sōka Gakkai , whose membership increased sharply in the immediate post-war period, successfully ran for the Japanese parliament in the lower house elections of 1956 and the upper house elections in 1959. In 1962, the group reached the strength of a faction and was now called Kōmei Seiji Renmei ( 公 明 政治 盟 盟 ; "League for clean politics"); two years later it became the political arm of the Sōka Gakkai, the Kōmeitō. The programmatic content of the party is humanitarian socialism with a strict demarcation from the communists.

The (New) Kōmeitō, which has since been dissolved and reconstituted in 1998, has been part of the LDP's governing coalitions since 1999.

Reform period

After the end of the bubble economy, the early 1990s saw a crippling economic crisis and a boom of new parties ( 新 党 ブ ー ム , Shintō būmu ), the multitude of which was only surpassed by their short life . The main actors in some of the most important party reshuffles and reshuffles were two former LDP leaders, Ichirō Ozawa and Tsutomu Hata . In 1993, the new parties succeeded in causing the LDP to lose government participation for almost a year.

The first re-establishment of this time was the New Japan Party of Morihiro Hosokawa in 1992 . A year later, in 1993, Ichirō Ozawa and Tsutomu Hata left the LDP and founded the Renewal Party . As a result, Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa lost an absolute majority in parliament, which was confirmed in the resulting new elections . Hosokawa formed a coalition government with the participation of all parties except the CPJ and the LDP, but this failed after less than a year. A minority government under Prime Minister Hata only lasted around two months. Simultaneously with the renewal of the party that was New Party Sakigake by Masayoshi Takemura created; together with the SPJ, it enabled the LDP to return to power.

The most important result of 1994 was a reform of the electoral law that made it more difficult for smaller parties to win direct seats by abolishing multi-mandate constituencies, but at the same time introduced a trench electoral system in which some of the seats in the lower house are occupied by proportional representation. Another important change was public party funding that was designed to reduce reliance on party donations. The government provides 250 yen per resident annually , which is distributed to the parties according to the election results.

After the failure of the anti-LDP coalition, the Renewal Party, the New Japan Party, the Kōmeitō and the DSP merged to form the New Progressive Party ( Shinshintō ), which took on the leadership role in the opposition. In 1997 it fell back into different groupings: the former Kōmeitō came back as the New Kōmeitō, some supporters of Ozawas formed the Liberal Party , and some joined the LDP.

The Democratic Party

Main articles: Democratic Party and Democratic Progressive Party

In 1996, former LDP members and Social Democrats together founded the Democratic Party ( abbreviated as DPJ ). After the break-up of the New Progressive Party in 1998, it swallowed most of the parties that had emerged and developed into the dominant opposition party. From 2006 to 2009 it was chaired by Ichirō Ozawa, who joined the Democrats with his Liberal Party in 2003. In the upper house election in 2007 , the party was able to outperform the LDP for the first time in favor of the voters and take over the government under Yukio Hatoyama in 2009 , but had to give it back to the LDP after the 2012 election after two other prime ministers ( Naoto Kan and Yoshihiko Noda ).

In 2008, Hideo Watanabe , who resigned from the Democratic Party, founded the Kaikaku Club ("Reform Club"; English Japan Renaissance Party ) with four other MPs , which worked in parliament with the LDP.

In March 2016, the DPJ merged with the Ishin no Tō to form the Democratic Progressive Party ( Minshintō , English The Democratic Party , abbreviated DP ), which in May 2018 merged with the previously split-off Party of Hope  to form the Democratic People's Party  ( DVP for short ; Kokumin Minshutō , English . Democratic Party For the People ).

Separations and partial reunification

Main articles: Constitutional Democratic Party , Hope Party , and People's Democratic Party

After Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announced early elections in September 2017, the relatively popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike founded the Conservative Party of Hope ( Kibō no Tō , Kibō for short ), aiming for an absolute majority in parliament. Shortly afterwards, the Minshintō chairman, Seiji Maehara, announced after consultation with Koike that the Minshintō would not put up its own candidates for the upcoming election and assured the Minshintō members that they would support them in the event of a candidacy for the Kibō no Tō. She had already lost a number of MPs to them. After Koike had pointed out several times that they would not accept all supporters of the Minshinto and examine every candidate for its political position, several left-wing Minshinto members announced that they did not want to run for the Koikes party. These included, for example, the former Prime Ministers Naoto Kan and Yoshihiko Noda as well as the deputy chairman of the Minshinto, Yukio Edano . Consequently, as an alternative to Kibō no Tō, Edano founded the left-liberal Constitutional Democratic Party ( KDP for short ; Rikken Minshutō ; English The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan , CDP for short ). While Kan joined the KDP, Noda and others ran as independents under the leadership of Katsuya Okada . After the election they formed the Mushozoku no Kai parliamentary group . The Kibō was only able to win 50 seats, while the KDP won 55.

In May 2018, Kibō and Minshintō merged to form the People's Democratic Party ( DVP for short ) after both parties had very low polls. The aim of the merger was to quantitatively surpass the KDP in parliament and to become the strongest opposition party. Ultimately, due to internal disputes within the parties, only 62 MPs joined the DVP, while a complete merger would have resulted in a total of 107 MPs. Some of the opponents of the merger joined the KDP, others became non-party. The KDP retained its position.

The new elections for post-privatization in 2005

Main articles: New Party of Japan and New People's Party

In the dispute over the privatization of the Japanese postal service, which was forced by Prime Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi as the most important domestic political project, significant parts of the LDP turned against him. By not giving in, Koizumi succeeded in strengthening his image as a reformer; however, a number of MPs left the LDP, including some well-known party leaders (including Shizuka Kamei , Tamisuke Watanuki , Takeo Hiranuma ). Sections of the so-called "rebels" organized themselves in the New Party of Japan and the New People's Party . In the general election of Koizumi in 2005 , he managed to bring many candidates (so-called “assassins”, often non-party Koizumi loyalists) against the LDP rebels into parliament and the political damage to the LDP was limited.

The two resulting parties were splinter parties with few MPs. You worked with the Democratic Party in parliament; the New People's Party was formally part of the governing coalition from 2009 to 2012.

"3. Pillar “: New party formations 2009–2012

In the course of the formation of the new party during and after the reign of the Democrats, the media and observers sometimes spoke of a new “3. Pillar “( 第三 極 , daisan-kyoku ) in the party system, which by the beginning of 2016 had split up into five parties.

Before the general election in 2009 , the former LDP politician Yoshimi Watanabe founded the Minna no Tō together with three other MPs from both major parties . The centrist party received 4.2 percent of the proportional representation and won a total of five seats. After the election, in which the LDP dropped from 300 to 119 seats and lost government participation for the first time since 1994, other leaders left the LDP and founded new parties: the former Minister of Social Affairs Yōichi Masuzoe , who was popular in surveys , founded the Kaikaku Club, the Shintō Kaikaku , which like the Minna no Tō supported the reforms of the ministerial bureaucracy and the government's goal of a leaner budget, but took rather conservative positions on foreign and constitutional issues. Almost simultaneously with the Shinto Kaikaku, Tachiagare Nippon was founded by Kaoru Yosano , who was considered an advocate of budget consolidation, and Takeo Hiranuma , an outspoken conservative on social issues. She was also supported by the then Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara , a socially conservative former LDP politician.

Other parties founded in 2010 were recruited from among local and prefecture politicians. Tōru Hashimoto , governor of Osaka, founded the Ōsaka Ishin no Kai ("Assembly for the Renewal of Osaka"), Hiroshi Yamada , former mayor of Suginami and NFP member, founded the Nippon Sōshintō , and Takashi Kawamura , mayor of Nagoya , founded Genzei Nippon (“Japan Tax Cut”). The parties campaigned in particular for reforms of the regional administration, the Ōsaka Ishin no Kai and Genzei Nippon were close to the Minna no Tō, the three parties worked on cooperation for the unified regional elections in 2011 .

From 2011 onwards, several parties in opposition to free trade ( TPP ), VAT increases and nuclear power split from the Democratic Party : the Shintō Kizuna , the Midori no Kaze , the Shinminshutō ("True Democratic Party") affiliated to the Shintō Daichi , and with the resignation from Ichirō Ozawa finally the Kokumin no Seikatsu ga Daiichi . From these parties, together with other resigned MPs and the national politicians of the Genzei Nippon (the regional party continued to exist independently for a short time) for the 2012 general election, the Nippon Mirai no Tō ("Future Party of Japan ", English Tomorrow Party of Japan ). It started the election campaign as the third largest party, but lost most of the seats. Most of the remaining MPs followed Ozawa in the Seikatsu no Tō, which renamed itself in 2016 in the Liberal Party .

The Nippon Ishin no Kai , the Hashimoto's Ōsaka Ishin no Kai, Ishihara's Tachiagare Nippon (briefly Taiyō no Tō ) and the Nippon Sōshintō were also formed for the 2012 general election and were joined by other MPs who had left both major parties for the election. The party had resounding success in the 2012 election, especially in Osaka Prefecture and the Kansai region, but was generally unable to replace the Democratic Party as the second strongest party nationwide.

Legal regulations

Laws that regulate the status of political parties in Japan are the kōshoku-licho-hō ("Law on Election to Public Office"), the seiji-shikin-kisei-hō ("Law Regulating Political Money") and the seitō-josei-hō ("Law on the Promotion of Political Parties"). Parties are generally referred to as "political groupings" ( seiji dantai ). The formal status as a political party ( seitō ), to which state party funding is linked in particular, is only granted to groups that have at least five members in the national parliament or that have at least one national member and at least two percent of the votes nationwide in majority or proportional representation received in one of the three elections to the current parliament. In addition to the state funding of parties, unlike political groups, parties are given airtime on the NHK public broadcaster , the option of having constituency candidates run for election via the proportional representation list and the right to accept party donations from companies, i.e. legal entities.

State party funding

Government funding for political parties in Japan is among the highest in the world. Under the Party Funding Act of 1994, parties receive government grants of 250 yen per inhabitant (based on the most recent census ) regardless of voter turnout. The distribution is based on the number of their representatives in parliament, divided by the total number in both houses together, and on their share of the votes in lower house and upper house elections. The latter are weighted according to the following key:

  • the direct votes of the last general election for a quarter,
  • the proportional representation of the last general election for a quarter,
  • the direct votes of the last two upper house elections to one eighth each,
  • the proportional representation of the last two upper house elections to one eighth each.

The state pays a total of around 32 billion yen (around 280 million euros in 2010) to the parties each year. The key date for measuring the annual party funding is usually January 1, the allocation itself takes place at the beginning of the fiscal year in April, and the payment is made in four tranches. The funds were distributed as follows:

Annual government funding of parties in billion yen
Political party 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 ... 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Liberal Democratic Party 13.36 13.71 14.69 15.20 14.90 14.54 14.53 ... 16.85 17.11 15.84 15.73 10.38 10.11 10.15 14.55 15.78 17.05 17.22 17.62 17.49 17.89 17.26
Democratic Party - 0.43 2.74 5.58 6.93 7.65 8.40 10.48 10.49 11.88 11.83 17.30 16.83 16.50 8.53 6.69 7.67 - - - - -
Democratic Progressive Party - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9.74 8.71 3.57 - -
Socialist Party of Japan / Social Democratic Party 5.62 4.71 2.74 2.47 2.11 2.25 2.15 1.06 1.01 0.90 0.90 0.86 0.76 0.76 0.54 0.43 0.47 0.47 0.40 0.38 0.38 0.36
People's Democratic Party - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5.41 4.65
Constitutional Democratic Party - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.76 3.23 4.29
Kōmei / Kōmeitō 0.50 0.43 0.34 1.67 3.33 3.12 2.90 2.86 2.87 2.73 2.73 2.39 2.28 2.28 2.56 2.60 2.95 2.97 3.14 2.95 3.01 3.03
Nippon Ishin no Kai (2012-2014) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.72 3.29 - - - - - -
Kibō no Tō - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3.04 0.22 -
Ishin no Tō - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.66 - - - - -
Ōsaka Ishin no Kai / Nippon Ishin no Kai (2016–) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.49 1.00 1.31 1.36 1.85
Minna no Tō - - - - - - - - - - - 0.36 1.12 1.12 1.79 2.01 - - - - - -
Jisedai no Tō / Nippon no Kokoro - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.56 0.56 0.49 - - -
Yui no Tō - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.35 - - - - - -
Seikatsu no Tō / Liberal Party (2016–) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.82 0.75 0.33 0.33 0.40 0.27 0.28 -
NHK kara Kokumin o Mamoru Tō - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.17
Reiwa Shinsengumi - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.16
Midori no Kaze - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.14 - - - - - - -
Shinto Kizuna - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.21 - - - - - - - -
New People's Party - - - - - - - 0.26 0.29 0.38 0.43 0.39 0.40 0.44 - - - - - - - -
Nippon o genki ni suru Kai - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.12 - - - - -
New Daichi Party - True Democrats - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.12 - - - - - - - -
Tachiagare Nippon - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.20 0.17 - - - - - - - -
New Japan Party - - - - - - - 0.16 0.16 0.20 0.20 0.14 0.14 0.14 - - - - - - - -
Kaikaku Club / Shinto Kaikaku - - - - - - - - - - 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.10 0.10 0.11 - - - -
New progress party 9.21 9.81 9.30 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Liberal Party (1998-2003) - - - 2.87 2.80 2.45 2.03 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
New party Sakigake / Sakigake / Midori no Kaigi 0.77 0.85 0.38 0.40 0.35 0.28 0.12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Taiyō no Tō (2015) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.09 - - - - -
Others 0.72 0.76 0.92 3.03 0.98 1.10 1.25 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Japanese Communist Party refuses to accept state party funding. The proportion of the other parties increases accordingly. The Dainiin Club (represented in parliament until 2004) had also refused to accept it, but applied in parliament for the money to which it was entitled to be returned to the state.

Party structures

Most of the parties represented in the national parliament, unlike in large parts of Europe, are not primarily member parties, but associations of members of parliament. When the left parties formed the main opposition to the LDP, they had close-knit mass organizations in the form of the major political unions; the Kōmeitō is closely related to the Sōka Gakkai . The Liberal Democratic Party tried with the "Liberal People's Congress" ( jiyū kokumin kaigi ) and other preparatory organizations to set up similar structures; but the personal support organizations of individual MPs ( kōenkai ) traditionally play the most important role in the party's grassroots work.

Bodies

The party chairman of nationally active parties is typically a member of the lower house of the national parliament and also leads the parliamentary group there. The chairman of the largest ruling party is usually also the prime minister, which is why in the post-war period it was mostly the election of the LDP chairman who decided who made the head of government; de facto, this also resulted in a term limit for the prime minister, although the constitution does not provide for such a limit.

In most parties, the inner circle of the party executive committee includes the general secretary, the chairman of the committee for parliamentary affairs, who coordinates the appointments and decisions for both factions of a party with his counterparts in the other parties, and the chairman of a "political research council" , a body which controls the internal political formulation and works in cooperation with the ministerial bureaucracy and parliament on draft laws. In many parties there is an executive council ( sōmukai , lit. "Council for general affairs", or the like), which makes important party political decisions.

The upper house parliamentary group of a party in the national parliament (if it is represented there) usually has its own chairman as well as leadership positions analogous to the party leadership (general secretary, political research council, parliamentary affairs). The larger parties also have a general assembly of members of parliament from the parliamentary groups of both chambers with their own executive committee - in the case of the Liberal Democratic and Democratic Party, the committee often decides on the party chairman.

Factionalism

A characteristic feature of the LDP (formerly also SPJ and DPJ) is the subdivision into factions ( 派閥 , habatsu ). Such factions are alliances mainly of members of parliament behind one or sometimes several leading politicians. In return for the support of the faction leader (not always the formal chairman) in votes and intra-party power struggles, the members receive support in election campaigns and are taken into account in the allocation of party and government posts that are negotiated between the factions. The factionalization is favored by the strong personalization of Japanese politics based on the overwhelming majority suffrage. This goes so far that, especially before the electoral reform of 1994, candidates from different factions of the same party competed against each other.

In the LDP in particular, factionalization has always been very pronounced, even if the party leaders always declared during their term of office that they wanted to reduce the influence of the factions. The party leaders, who officially do not belong to any faction during their term of office, are only determined by a trial of strength among the factions and often come from the numerically strongest faction. In the opposition DPJ, the factions were less clearly delimited and their composition was based predominantly on the party affiliation before the DPJ was founded. When the SPJ was the largest opposition party until the 1990s, it was also divided into factions, which, however, resembled the wings of European parties on the left to a greater extent, as they expressed different political positions within the party. The most obvious were the differences between the right and left wing, which arose in the dispute over the peace treaty with the USA and which ultimately resulted in the split-off of the DSP. Since its participation in government in the 1990s, the SPJ or its successor SDP has only been a small party and strives for a uniform appearance to the outside world, even if different currents within the party continue to exist.

Official names of the factions are usually composed of one of the terms “Research Council” or “Assembly” and a more or less concrete political slogan (e.g. 社会主義 研究 会 , Shakai Shugi Kenkyūkai , German “Research Council for Socialism” (SPJ) or 一 新 会 , Isshinkai , German "Renewal Council" (DPJ)). In the media they are usually referred to as their chairperson.

Kōenkai

A member of parliament or a candidate, especially from the LDP, but also from most of the other parties, maintains one, sometimes several support organizations, Kōenkai , in his constituency . Mostly based on the politician's circle of acquaintances (friends, relatives, former training and work colleagues, etc.), they organize a network of campaign workers, donors and voters. Conversely, successful politicians can gain advantages for their constituencies through their work in Tokyo (construction projects, subsidies, financial aid).

Benefiting from the electoral system, the Kōenkai developed into one of the most important tools for the LDP to maintain power in the post-war period: They provided campaign funding and created a solid voter base. One of the most successful and well-known Kōenkai in history, the Etsuzankai of Tanaka Kakuei in Niigata Prefecture, had over 90,000 members at times. Building a successful Kōenkai is associated with considerable financial and time expenditure - a barrier to entry for new candidates; many new LDP politicians, however, were able to rely on the already existing Kōenkai of their retired predecessors.

With the reforms of the electoral law and party funding in the 1990s, the role of the kōenkai changed; But they have not completely lost their importance.

List of small and regional parties

This incomplete list currently (as of 2019) lists existing small or regional parties that are not or no longer considered parties in the legal sense, but have members in prefectural or local parliaments and / or have stood in national elections:

  • The “new party” ( あ た ら し い 党 Atarashii Tō ), founded in 2018, an urban-business-liberal regional party around Shun Otokita (previously Tomin First, now also Ishin member), which relies on more modern voter communication and crowdfunding
  • “Association to Citizens First” ( 都 民 フ ァ ー ス ト の 会 Tomin First no Kai ), a prefectural party founded in Tokyo in 2017 by Governor Yuriko Koike
  • "No political party supported" ( 支持 政党 な し shiji seitō nashi ), protest party founded in 2012 with success in national elections (e.g.> 4% in the proportional representation block Hokkaidō in the 2014 general election )
  • "Green Party Greens Japan" ( 緑 の 党 グ リ ー ン ズ ジ ャ パ ン Midori no Tō Gurīnzu Japan ), a green party founded in 2012 from left-green and conservative-green predecessor parties, represented in prefecture and municipal parliaments, in national elections so far only in 2013 with its own nominations, otherwise only with Election recommendations for individual candidates occurred
  • "Tax cut [en] Japan" ( 減税 日本 Genzei Nippon ), party of the ex-democratic mayor of Nagoya, Takashi Kawamura , founded in 2010 initially in the city politics , soon with the ex- liberal democrat Hideaki Ōmura also in the gubernatorial election in Aichi, in the prefectural parliament election Aichi and later occasionally successful in parliamentary elections in other prefectures and municipalities, temporarily represented at the national level from 2011–2012 by converting the DP to the national level, but dissolved as a national party in 2012 in favor of the Genzei-Nippon-han-TPP and the future party, still active as a regional party
  • "Kyōto Party" ( 京都 党 Kyōto-tō ), local party founded in 2010 in the parliament of the city of Kyoto
  • "Glücksrealisierungspartei" ( 幸福 実 現 党 Kōfuku-jitsugen-tō ), a party of the religious community Kōfuku no Kagaku (" Happy Science ") founded in 2009 , temporarily represented by converting to the national parliament, repeatedly represented almost everywhere in national elections
  • "Political party ' Sōzō ' [~ creation / creativity]" ( 政党 そ う ぞ う Seitō SŌZŌ ), bourgeois regional party founded in Okinawa in 2005, temporarily represented in the national parliament through conversion and affiliated with the New People's Party
  • "Smile Party" ( ス マ イ ル 党 Sumairu-tō ), founded in 2006 by the smile activist, entrepreneur and long-term candidate Mac Akasaka , which won a seat for the first time in the parliamentary elections in Minato (Tokyo) in 2019
  • New Daichi party ( 新 党 大地 Shintō Daichi ), a conservative, anti-economically liberal regional party founded in Hokkaidō in 2005 as a split from the LDP around Muneo Suzuki (meanwhile also Ishin member), temporarily represented in the national parliament and temporarily allied with the Democrats, later through electoral cooperation changed to the LDP camp with the communists
  • New Socialist Party ( 新 社会 党 Shin-Shakaitō ), left SPJ split founded in 1996 when it was converted into the SDP
  • "Renewal / Restoration Party, Fresh Wind" ( 維新 政党 ・ 新 風 Ishin seitō ・ shinpū ), right-wing extremist party founded in 1995, which has run several times in upper house elections
  • "Green Party" ( 緑 の 党 Midori no Tō (1981) ), left-wing radical party founded in 1981 with individual success in local elections, without any connection to today's Green Party

List of historical parties

Parties that were represented in the national parliament or contested national elections are listed, as well as subnational parties that have been successful to a significant extent. The list does not claim to be complete. Political societies / proto-parties in the pre- / early constitutional period as well as some national parliamentary groups are also listed, where they are essential for the continuity of the previous / subsequent party formations. The most important parties of their time (depending on the period, the two or three largest at national level) are underlined . The given translations, if possible verbatim, serve to approximate, especially with smaller parties the translations used in foreign literature are inconsistent. For self-chosen English names for the external representation of recent parties, see the individual articles if applicable.

19th century: Pre-constitutional and early Reichstag

  • Jiyū Minken Undō ("Movement for Freedom and People's / Civil Rights"), early liberal parties in the prefectural and municipal parliaments from 1878/80 and the early House of Representatives from 1890
    • Aikoku Kōtō (愛国 公 党 ), 1874, reactivated briefly in 1890 and then integrated into the Constitutional Liberal Party
    • Aikokusha (愛国 社 ), “Society of Patriots / Patriotic Love ” 1875–1880
    • Risshi-sha (立志 社 ), “Society that takes things into their own hands / self-help society”, 1874–1883
    • Jiyūtō ( 自由 党 ), Liberal Party , 1881–1884
    • Daidō Club ( 大同 倶 楽 部 ), "unit club", 1889-1890
    • Jiyūtō ( 自由 党 ), Liberal Party , merged with other groups to form the Constitutional Liberal Party
    • Rikken Jiyūtō (立憲 自由 党 ), Constitutional Liberal Party, 1890, soon (again) renamed Jiyūtō , Liberal Party (Japan, 1890–1898) , renamed
    • Rikken Kaishintō (立憲 改進 党), Constitutional Progress / Reform Party, 1882–1896, a forerunner of theShinpotō(Progressive Party)
    • Shinpotō (進 歩 党 ), Progressive Party , 1896–1898, formed during a rapprochement between the Liberal Party and the Meiji Oligarchy
    • Kenseitō (憲政 党), Constitutional Party, 1898–1900, initially an amalgamation of the Liberal and Progressive Party
    • Kensei Hontō , "Main / True Constitutional Party", 1898–1910, split from progressives who opposed the liberals' rapprochement with the government
    • Rikken Seiyūkai (立 憲政 友 会), “Constitutional Association of Political Friends”, 1900–1940, now a permanent alliance between liberals and oligarchs
    • Tōyō Jiyūtō (東洋 自由 党 ), "Oriental Liberal Party", 1892–1893, Asianist, radical-liberal party
  • Opponent, onwa-ha , "gentle [ie from the government's point of view : moderate] faction", ritō , " public officials" and parliamentary groups close to the government in the early House of Representatives
    • Rikken Teiseitō (立憲 帝 政党 ), "Constitutional Party for Imperial Rule", 1882–1883
    • Taiseikai (大成 会 ), 1890–1891, largest parliamentary group close to the government in the first house of representatives
    • Kokumin Jiyūtō (国民 自由 党 ), "Liberal People's Party", 1890-1891
    • Chūō Kōshōkai (中央 交 渉 会 ), "Central Negotiating Group", 1892-1893, largest parliamentary group close to the government in the second House of Representatives
    • Dokuritsu Club (独立 倶 楽 部 ), "Independent Club", 1893
    • Kokumin Kyōkai (国民 協会 ), "People's / Citizens' Society ", 1892–1899, the largest ritō in its time
    • Dōshi Club (同志 ク ラ ブ ), "Club of like-minded people", 1893
    • Dainihon Kyōkai (大 日本 協会 ), "Greater Japanese Society", 1893

Empire 1900 to 1945

  • Teikokutō (帝国党 ), "Imperial Party ", 1899–1905, marginalized successor to the failed "office bearer parties "
  • Daidō Club (大同 倶 楽 部 ), 1905–1910, successor to Teikokutō
  • Yūkōkai (猶 興会 ), 1906–1908
  • Chūō Club (中央 倶 楽 部 ), "Club of the Middle", 1910–1913
  • Chūseikai (中正 会 ), “Neutral Congregation ,” 1913–1916
  • Rikken Kokumintō , "Constitutional People's Party", 1910–1922, successor of Kensei Hontō, initially the greatest adversary of the Seiyūkai
  • Rikken Dōshikai (立憲 同志 会), "Constitutional Association ofLike-Minded People", 1913–1916, for Katsura Tarō
  • Kenseikai (憲政 会), "Constitutional Association", 1916–1927, successor to the Dōshikai
  • Kakushin Club (革新 倶 楽 部 ), "Reform / Progressive Club", 1922–1925, successor to the Rikken Kokumintō
  • Seiyū Hontō (政 友 本 党), "Main / True Seiyū Party / Party of Political Friends", 1924–1927, split of the Seiyūkai
  • Chūsei Club (中正 倶 楽 部 ), "Neutral Club", 1924–1925, parliamentary group in the 15th House of Representatives
  • Shinsei Club (新 正 倶 楽 部 ), 1925–1928
  • Rikken Minseitō , 1927-1940
  • Kokumin Dōshikai (国民 同志 会 ), "People's Society of Like-Minded People", 1929–1932
  • Kakushintō (革新 党 ), "Reform / Progressive Party", 1927-1932, remainder of the Kakushin Club that had not joined the Seiyūkai
  • Kokumin Dōmei (国民 同盟 ), "People's / Citizens' Union", 1932–1940, after the invasion of Manchuria, a militarist party around Minseitō politicians emerged
  • Shōwakai (昭和 会 ), 1935-1937, militaristic split from the Seiyūkai, which hadforbiddenits members to cooperate with the Okada cabinet
  • Tōhōkai (東方 会 ), 1936–1944, fascist, only party that ran alongside the Taisei Yokusankai and independents with its own candidates in the 1942 House of Representatives election

Socialist movement: "Proletarian parties" until 1940

Many of the early left parties were banned or suppressed. Established in the 1920s, Nihon Kyōsantō , the Communist Party of Japan , only operated underground until the end of World War II.

In 1940, all remaining legal parties disbanded in favor of the Taisei Yokusankai . In both chambers of the Reichstag, unitary groups were formed, with the manor house groups continuing to exist in parallel.

Occupation and reconstruction 1945–1955

  • summarized here as the Liberal Party (Japan, 1945–1955) :
    • Nihon Jiyūtō , Liberal Party of Japan (LPJ), from 1945 to 1948, the liberal-conservative party to former Seiyūkai politicians to Hatoyama Ichiro , but was excluded after winning the first federal election in 1946 by SCAP from public office so that the mansion MPs Shigeru Yoshida , the Took over leadership of party and government
    • Minshujiyūtō , Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), 1948–1950, emerged from the LPJ after the accession of ex-democrats in opposition to the coalition with the socialists
    • Jiyūtō , Liberal Party (LP), 1950–1955, emerged from the DLP after the final split of the Democrats and further accessions
  • Nihon Shinpotō , Progressive Party of Japan , 1945–1947 liberal-conservative party around former Minseitō politicians
  • Nihon Kyōdōtō (日本 協同 党 ), "Cooperative Party of Japan", 1945–1946, centrist, cooperative party around the former Minseitō politician Yamamoto Sanehiko
  • Nihon Shakaitō , Socialist Party of Japan (SPJ), 1945–1996, socialist party around former Shadaitō politicians
    • split in the 1950s as the right / left SPJ wing (uha / saha)
  • Nihon Kyōsantō , Communist Party of Japan (CPJ), legalized in 1945
  • Kyōdō Minshutō (協同 民主党 ), "Cooperative Democratic Party", 1946–1947, merger of the Kyōdōtō with smaller groups
  • Kokumintō (国民党 ), "People's / Citizens' Party", 1946–1947, amalgamation of several splinter parties and independents
  • Kokumin Kyōdōtō (国民 協同 党 ), "Cooperativist People's Party", 1947–1950, amalgamation of co-op democrats and the People's Party
  • Nihon Nōmintō (日本 農民 党 ), "Peasant Party of Japan", 1947-1949, especially in Hokkaidō represented peasant party
  • Minshutō , Democratic Party (DP), 1947-1950, merger of the Progressive Party with a split from the LPJ, initially split over the government coalition with the Socialists, later finally broken up over cooperation with the Liberal Government
  • Ryokufūkai , "Summer Wind Assembly" [literallyryokufū is"green wind", a wind that sets fresh green leaves in motion in early summer], 1947–1960, then revived several times, initially the largest faction in the 1st Council House
  • Nōminshintō (農民 新 党 ), "New Peasant Party", 1948–1949, split from the Nihon Nōmintō
  • Rōdōshanōmintō (労 働 者 農民 党 ), "Workers 'and Peasants' Party", 1948–1957, left SPJ split, finally rejoined the reunited SPJ
  • Shakai Kakushintō (社会 革新 党 ), "Socialist Reform / Progressive Party", 1948–1951, right-wing SPJ split
  • Nōmin Kyōdōtō (農民 協同 党 ), "Cooperativist Peasant Party", 1949–1952, successor to the New Peasant Party, split in 1952 between Kaishintō and Cooperativists
  • Kokumin Minshutō (国民 民主党), "Democratic People's Party", 1950–1952, merger of the remaining / opposition wing of the Democrats with the Cooperativists
  • Shakaiminshutō , Social Democratic Party , 1951–1952, emerged from the Shakai Kakushintō
  • Shinsei Club (新政 ク ラ ブ ), "New Political Club ", 1951-1952, group around former Minseitō politicians who returned to politics after the end of the SCAP ban on wartime politicians, joined the Kaishitō
  • Kyōdōtō (協同 党 ), "Cooperative Party", 1952, merger of the Social Democratic Party and parts of the Nōmin Kyōdōtō, joined the right-wing SPJ
  • Nihon Saiken Renmei (日本 再 建 連 盟 ), "Japanese Reconstruction Association", 1952–1953, group around former Minseitō politicians who returned to politics after the end of the SCAP ban on wartime politicians, joined the LP
  • Kaishintō , "Progress / Reform Party", 1952–1954, merger of Kokumin Minshutō, Nōmin-Kyōdōtō and Shinsei Club, joined Hatoyama in 1954
  • Nihon Jiyūtō , Liberal Party of Japan, 1953–1954, also buntōha ~ , "Secessionist" or "Hatoyama LP", split from Hatoyama and supporters from the Liberal Party for the 1953 House of Representatives election, Hatoyama itself and most of its members returned after the election returned to the LP, but a small portion held the LPJ up until 1954, when it joined Hatoyama's final split
  • Nihon Minshutō , Democratic Party of Japan , 1954–1955, Hatoyama's final split from the liberals, merging with large parts of the bourgeois, non-socialist opposition

"55 system" 1955–1993

  • Jiyūminshutō , Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), since 1955, merger of LP and DPJ, see above
  • KPJ, see above
  • SPJ , 1955 merger of the right and left SPJ, see above
  • Minshushakaitō , Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), 1960-1994, final split of the right wing SPJ over the military treaty with the USA, unlike the parent party for rearmament and the US alliance
  • Kōmeitō , 1964-1994, association of Sōka-Gakkai -supported MPs, worked politically with the DSP
  • Shin Jiyū Club , New Liberal Club , 1976–1986, LDP liberal breakaway
  • Shakai Shimin Rengō (社会 市民 連 合 ), 1977–1978, right-wing SPJ split from Eda Saburō
  • Shakai Club (社会 ク ラ ブ ), Socialist Club, 1977–1978, right-wing SPJ split around Den Hideo
  • Shakaiminshu Rengō (社会 民主 連 合 ), "Social Democratic League", 1978-1994, merger of Shakai Shimin Rengō and Shakai Club under the, later under Eda's son Satsuki , in the 1980s in factional community with the New Liberal Club, dissolved in 1994, most of them Members came to the Nihon Shinto
  • Shinpotō ( 進 歩 党 ), Progressive Party , 1987-1993, party of Tagawa Seiichi , who did not return to the LDP after the dissolution of the New Liberal Club
  • Zeikintō (税金 党 ), "Tax Party", 1983–1990, Nozue Chinpei's party from the New Liberal Club
  • Sports-heiwa-tō (ス ポ ー ツ 平和 党 ), "Sports & Peace Party", 1989-2006, party around the former professional wrestler Antonio Inoki
  • Rengō no kai ( 連 合 の 会 ), 1989–1992, arm of the new trade union federation Rengō founded in 1989 for the council selection ; renamed Minshu Kaikaku Rengō ( 民主改革 連 合 ), "Democratic Reform Alliance", 1992–1998, absorbed into the "new" Democratic Party

Parties in Okinawa, USA 1945–1972

  • Okinawa Jinmintō ( 沖 縄 人民 党 ), "People's Party Okinawa", 1947–1973, joined the CPY after the return
  • Okinawa Shakai Taishūtō , "Socialist Mass Party Okinawa", 1950–, moderate socialist / social democratic party, for the return under Japanese sovereignty and against military prerogatives, when the return was planned to join the SPJ, the only MP to join the DSP, the party However, it still exists as a regional party in Okinawa and has been represented in the national parliament again in recent decades
  • here summarized in the Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party , whose predecessors:
    • Ryūkyū Minshutō , Ryūkyū Democratic Party, 1952–1959
    • Okinawa Jiyūminshutō , Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party, 1959–1964
    • Minshutō , Democratic Party, 1964-1967
    • Okinawa Jiyūminshutō , Okinawa Liberal Democratic Party, 1967-1970, was converted after the return to the Okinawa Prefectural Association of the Motherland LDP

From the collapse of the “55 system” to a renewed two-party consolidation 1992–2003

  • Nihon Shinto , New Japan Party , 1992–1994
  • Shinseitō , Renewal Party , 1993–1994, LDP split to Ozawa Ichirō after the vote of no confidence in the Miyazawa cabinet, after the failure of the anti-LDP cabinets Hata and Hosokawa in the NFP
  • Shintō Sakigake , "New Party 'Harbinger'", 1993-1998, changing its name to Sakigake until 2002, LDP split after the vote of no confidence in the Miyazawa cabinet, in 1994 involved in the "big" LDP-SPJ coalition but after leaving and weak election results increasingly meaningless, in 2002 Midori no kaigi risen
  • Kaikaku no Kai ( 改革 の 会 ), 1993-1994, parliamentary group of former LDP members like Hatoyama Kunio or Nishioka Takeo , joined the Jiyū Kaikaku Rengō
  • Jiyūtō , Liberal Party, 1994, LDP split from Kakizawa Kōji , joined the Jiyū Kaikaku Rengō
  • Shintō Mirai , "New Future Party", 1994, LDP split from the Mitsuzuka faction, joined the Jiyū Kaikaku Rengō
  • Kōshikai ( 高志 会 ), 1994, LDP split in opposition to the formation of the grand coalition with the SPJ, became the nucleus of Jiyū Kaikaku Rengō
  • Jiyū Kaikaku Rengō (自由 改革 連 合 ), "Liberal Reform League", 1994, alliance of LDP splinter groups, participated in the foundation of the NFP
  • Shintō Goken Liberal , "New Party 'Liberals for the Protection of the Constitution'", 1994-1995, around Den Hideo, supported the grand coalition, later split
  • Jiyū Rengō (自由 連 合 ), “Liberal Bund”, 1989 (as a political association of Tokudas) / 1994–201x, libertarian-conservative party around the MP Tokuda Torao against taxes, represented in the national parliament until 2005
  • Kōmei shintō , "New Kōmei Party", 1994, one of the two parties resulting from the division of the Kōmeitō, immediately joined the NFP
  • Kōmei , 1994–1998, Kōmeitō successor in the Council House, reconstituted the Kōmeitō in 1998 together with NFP fragments
  • Shinshintō , New Progressive Party (NFP), 1994–1997, formed in opposition to the grand coalition in preparation for the new suffrage with single-mandate constituencies
  • Shimin Rengō , "Bürgerbund", 1995-1996, SPJ split off against the grand coalition with the LDP, joined the DP
  • Sangiin Forum , "Rätehausforum", 1995–1996, parliamentary group around Den Hideo, Shiina Motoo u. a.
  • Shakaiminshutō , Social Democratic Party (SDP), 1996–, at the beginning of 1996 as a renaming of the SPJ, which had already shrunk in government but was still relatively large, soon became a small party due to further resignations in the same year (DP)
  • Minshutō , Democratic Party (DP), 1996-2016, initially founded by former Sakigake and SPJ politicians as a third alternative to the LDP and NFP, for economic liberalization like the NFP, but more moderate than both in constitutional issues and thus more attractive than the NFP for through the grand coalition disaffected / former SPJ supporters and MPs, suddenly the largest opposition party after the dissolution of the NFP, and with the accession of Ozawa's LP in 2003 it was finally the main reservoir of the opposition, but at the same time as broad / incoherent as the NFP
  • Taiyōtō (太陽 党 ), "Sun Party", 1996–1998, NFP spin-off around Hata Tsutomu , absorbed in the Minseitō
  • From Five , 1997–1998, NFP split off around Hosokawa Morihiro , merged into the Minseitō
  • Shintō Yūai (新 党 友愛 ), “New Brotherhood Party”, 1998, NFP successor to Nakano Kansei , absorbed in the “new” DP
  • Kokumin no Koe , (国民 の 声 ), 1998, NFP successor to Kano Michihiko , absorbed in the Minseitō
  • Kaikaku Club , 1998–2002, NFP successor to Ozawa Tatsuo
  • Minseitō , 1998, union of three NFP successors in the DP parliamentary group, merged into the “new” DP
  • Shintō Heiwa ( 新 党 平和 ), “New Peace Party”, NFP successor to Sōka-Gakkai-near / ex-Kōmeitō members of the House of Representatives, with Kōmei in the “new” Kōmeitō
  • Reimei Club ( 黎明 ク ラ ブ ), "Dawn Club", NFP successor to Sōka-Gakkai-near / Ex-Kōmeitō Council House members, in Kōmei and thus then the "new" Kōmeitō
  • Mushozoku no Kai , “Assembly of Independents”, initially 1998–1999 as the council house faction Sangiin Club , “council house club” to Shiina Motoo, Tanabu Masami , u. a. 1999–2004 as a party, mainly from NFP split remains
  • Niji to Midori (虹と緑 ), "Rainbow and green", from 1998 to 2008, an association of more left-green prefectural and municipal politicians, successor Sakigake Midori 2008 with the more conservative-green no table to Midori no Mirai merged
  • Jiyūtō , Liberal Party (LP), 1998-2003, NFP split around Ozawa, joined a coalition with the LDP in 1999, but left again after the Kōmeitō entered government, joined the DP in 2003
  • Hoshutō , Conservative Party, 2000–2002, LP split from politicians who wanted to continue the coalition
  • Hoshushintō , New Conservative Party , 2002–2003, formed through the amalgamation of large parts of the Conservative Party with a split off from the DP, joined the LDP after the 2003 parliamentary elections

Former parties formed after 2003

  • Kokumin shintō , New People's Party , 2005–2013, rather rural-conservative LDP split-off against post-privatization, participated in the DP government from 2009–2012
  • Shintō Nippon , New Party Japan , 2005–2015, a more urban-liberal LDP split against post-privatization around the former governor of Nagano, Tanaka Yasuo
  • Kaikaku Club , "Reform Club", 2008-2010, emerged during the "twisted parliament" around ex-Democrats who wanted to work with the LDP-led government, absorbed in the Shinto Kaikaku
  • Shintō Kaikaku , "New Reform Party", 2010-2016, emerged from the Kaikaku Club with ex-Liberal Democrats around Masuzoe Yōichi , unsuccessful in elections, dissolved after the last member was voted out and the legal party status was lost
  • Minna no Tō , "Party of All", 2009-2014, aneconomically liberal party founded by ex-liberal democratsaround Watanabe Yoshimi together with ex-democrats, initially relatively successful in elections, but split in 2013 over government cooperation and merger plans with Ishin no Kai, and finally in 2014 completely dissolved in the dispute over the direction
  • Nippon Sōshintō , "Japan Re-erecting Party", 2010–2012, conservative-regionalist association of prefectural and local politicians, unsuccessful at national level, in 2012 absorbed into Ishin no Kai
  • Tachiagare Nippon , "Stand up, Japan!", 2010–2012, conservative party of ex-liberal democrats around the right-wing conservative Hiranuma Takeo and the more moderate, budget-conservative Yosano Kaoru , in 2012 after the accession of the governor of Tokyo, Ishihara Shintarō , in Taiyō no Tō , "Party of the Sun", renamed, but a few days later in the Ishin no Kai
  • Shintō Kizuna , 2011–2012, split off from the DP Ozawa-affiliated MP against the VAT increase, merged in Ozawa's split in 2012
  • Kokumin no Seikatsu ga Daiichi , “The life of the citizens / the people first”, 2012, split off from the DP around Ozawa Ichirō against the VAT increase, absorbed in the future party
  • Genzei Nippon, han-TPP, datsu-genpatsu o jitsugen suru tō ( 減税 日本 ・ 反 TPP ・ 脱 原 発 を 実 現 す る 党 ), "Tax cut Japan / anti-TPP / nuclear phase-out implementing party", 2012, Association of National Politicians of the Genzei Nippon with Han-TPP, founded a few days earlier , datsu-genpatsu, shōhizōzei tōketsu o jitsugen suru tō ( 反 TPP ・ 脱 原 発 ・ 消費 増 税 凍結 を 実 現 す る 党 ), "anti-TPP- / nuclear phase-out- / freezing VAT increase implementing party “of the ex-democrat Yamada Masahiko and the ex-NVP politician Kamei Shizuka , absorbed into the future party after a few days
  • Nippon Mirai no Tō , "Future Party of Japan", 2012, left-wing liberal collection of DP splits against VAT increases, TPP accession and nuclear power for the 2012 parliamentary elections, formally around the governor of Shiga, Kada Yukiko , after losing most of the MPs in the election Split again in 2012, main successor to Ozawa's Seikatsu no Tō
  • Midori no Kaze , "green wind" [but also see the transferred meaning / prehistory of ryokufū , Sino-Japanese for "green" wind, at Ryokufūkai 1947], 2012-2013, first council house group of ex-democrats against nuclear power and sales tax increase, im Autumn 2012 party, but as such dissolved after a short time in favor of the Future Party, revived for a short time after the 2012 election
  • Nippon Ishin no Kai , "Association of the Renewal / Restoration of Japan", 2012-2014, by the governor of Osaka, Hashimoto Tōru and his regional party Ōsaka Ishin no Kai with mainly ex-liberal democrats founded right-wing populist reformist conservative party, soon through the accession of other groups, in particular Ishihara Shintarō's Sun Party, former LDP, DP and Minna politicians and the 2012 House of Representatives election, third strongest nationwide, second strongest in some prefectures, strongest in Osaka, 2014 split between Jisedai no Tō and Ishin no in the dispute over the direction between Hashimoto and Ishihara Tō
  • Seikatsu no Tō , "Party of Life", later renamed Seikatsu no Tō to Yamamoto Tarō to nakamatachi , "Party of Life and Tarō Yamamoto and Friends", then Jiyūtō , Liberal Party ; 2012 Main successor (technically: renaming) of the future party around Ozawa Ichirō, merged in 2019 into the Kokumin Minshutō
  • Jisedai no Tō , "Party of the next generation / -en", later renamed Nippon no kokoro o taisetsu ni suru tō , "Party that matters to Japan's heart", then to Nippon no Kokoro "Japan's heart", 2014-2018, First Ishin split off from Tokyo’s right-wing conservative former governor Ishihara Shintarō, indirect successor of Tachiagare Nippon / Taiyō no Tō , soon a small party after poor election results and party withdrawals, merged into the LDP in 2018
  • Yui no Tō , "party of solidarity", 2013-2014, Minna split off from politicians around Eda Kenji for a merger with Ishin no Kai, with which Rumpf-Ishin-no-Kai merged to Ishin no Tō
  • Ishin no Tō , "Party of Renewal / Restoration", 2014-2016, populist-economically liberal association of Rumpf-Ishin-no-Kai and Yui no Tō, quarreled over cooperation with the Democrats and the rest of the opposition and finally split between Hashimoto's newer national Ōsaka Ishin no Kai and the Minshintō
  • Nippon o genki ni suru kai , "Association that gets Japan going", 2015–, small Minna-no-Tō split residue, no longer represented in the national parliament since 2016
  • Minshintō , Democratic Progressive Party , 2016-2018, created by the unification of the Democratic Party and Rump Ishin-no-Tō,decimated in2017 by the de facto split from Kibō no Tō on the right and the Constitutional Democratic Party on the left, in 2018 with the main part by the former but partially reunited in the Kokumin Minshutō

See also

Web links

literature

  • Ray Christensen: Ending the LDP Hegemony: Party Cooperation in Japan , University of Hawaii 2000. ISBN 0-8248-2295-1 .
  • John Whitney Hall et al. (Ed.): Cambridge History of Japan , Cambridge University Press 1988–1999, Volumes 5 & 6. (In Vol. 6, pp. 58 & 163 flowcharts on party history)
  • Ronald J. Hrebenar et al .: Japan's New Party System , Westview Press 2000. ISBN 0-8133-3057-2 .
  • Janet Hunter: Concise Dictionary of Modern Japanese History . University of California Press 1984. (In Appendix 4, pp. 259 ff. Flowchart on party history)
  • Stephen Johnson: Opposition politics in Japan: strategies under a one-party dominant regime , Routledge, London 2000.
  • Masaru Kohno: Japan's Postwar Party Politics . Princeton 1997.
  • Patrick Köllner: Factionalism in Japanese Parties: An Approach from a Conceptual and Comparative Perspective (PDF; 134 kB). Working paper of the German Overseas Institute, Hamburg 2001.
  • Manfred Pohl: The political parties , in: Country report Japan , Manfred Pohl / Hans Jürgen Mayer (eds.), BpB 1998, Bonn.
  • Ethan Scheiner: Democracy without Opposition in Japan: Opposition Failure in a One-Party Dominant State , Cambridge University Press 2006. ISBN 978-0-521-60969-2 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gordon M. Berger: Politics and mobilization in Japan, 1931–1945. in: Peter Duus (Ed.): The Cambridge History of Japan, vol. 6: The Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press, 1991. pp. 150 f.
  2. ^ Reiji Yoshida: Democratic Party effectively disbands, throwing support behind Koike's party for Lower House poll. In: The Japan Times . September 28, 2017, accessed February 12, 2018 .
  3. ↑ 立憲 民主党 が 設立 を 届 け 出 結成 メ ン バ ー は ６ 人 . In: Sankei News . October 3, 2017, Retrieved February 12, 2018 (Japanese).
  4. ^ Ministry of General Affairs (English ~ Internal Affairs and Communication): Results of the 48th general election of the members of the House of Representatives and the referendum on the judges at the Supreme Court
  5. ^ Deutsche Welle, September 11, 2005: Overwhelming victory for Koizumi
  6. ↑ Tagesschau.de, September 11, 2005: Koizumi wins parliamentary election (tagesschau.de archive)
  7. ↑ 「第三 極」 ５ 党 に 分裂 . In: Mainichi Shimbun , morning edition Tōkyō. January 9, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016 (Japanese).
  8. ↑ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication : Election System in Japan  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.soumu.go.jp  
  9. ↑ a b c d e f g Rina Sanchôme: State party funding in Japan. Books on Demand 2004. ISBN 3-8334-0609-7 , p. 90
  10. ↑ Sōmu-shō , April 1, 2007: 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定
  11. ↑ Sōmu-shō , April 1, 2008: 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定
  12. ↑ Sōmu-shō , April 1, 2009: 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 ( Memento of the original from March 23, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 107 kB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.soumu.go.jp
  13. ↑ Sōmu-shō , April 1, 2010: 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF; 232 kB)
  14. ↑ Sōmu-shō , April 1, 2011: 平 成 23 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF; 101 kB)
  15. ↑ Sōmushō, April 6, 2012: 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF; 258 kB)
  16. ↑ Sōmushō, May 16, 2013: 平 成 25 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)
  17. ↑ Sōmushō, April 1, 2014: 平 成 26 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)
  18. ↑ Sōmushō, April 10, 2015: 平 成 27 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)
  19. ↑ Sōmushō, April 1, 2016: 平 成 28 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)
  20. ↑ Sōmushō, April 3, 2017: 平 成 29 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)
  21. ↑ Sōmushō, April 2, 2018: 平 成 30 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)
  22. ↑ Sōmushō, April 1, 2019: 平 成 31 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)
  23. ↑ Sōmushō, April 1, 2020: 令 和 2 年分 政党 交付 金 の 交付 決定 (PDF)