State Secretary (Japan)

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In the Japanese central government there are several positions that can be called State Secretary in German . Since the reform of the central government in 2001, there have been two different parliamentary positions in the ministries below the state ministers . They were set up to strengthen the "primacy of politics" ( seiji shudō ) over the traditionally influential ministerial bureaucracy.

Since 2001

The “national civil service law” ( 国家 公務員 法 , kokka-kōmuin-hō ) of 1947 differentiates politically, in particular positions occupied by parliament as “special offices” ( tokubetsu-shoku ) from the other “ordinary offices” ( ippan-shoku ). Today, this includes two types of government members subordinate to the minister, who as a rule - without exception until 2010 - will be occupied by members of the national parliament.

Fuku-dajin

The office of a Fuku-Daijin ( 副 大臣 , "Vice Minister", English Senior Vice-Minister , State Minister, etc.) introduced in 2001 is filled by the cabinet at the suggestion of the responsible State Minister. As with the state ministers themselves, the appointment of a fuku-daijin as a ninshōkan is certified by the Tennō . There are between one and three fuku-daijin in each ministry and cabinet office . They support the minister in the exercise of office and represent him - with the exception of the cabinet office - in the event of his absence.

Daijin Seimukan

The position of Daijin Seimukan ( 大臣 政務 官 , often translated as "Parliamentary Secretary of State", English Parliamentary Secretary , for example in the METI but also Vice-Minister ) was also created in 2001 and is subordinate to the Minister and the "Vice Minister" . The daijin seimukan are also occupied by the cabinet at the suggestion of the responsible state minister, but they are not ninshōkan .

Jimu Jikan

The official Jimu Jikan ( 事務 次 官 , English Administrative Vice-Minister ) has been below the two political offices since 2001 . He is used by the minister, in contrast to z. B. to civil servants in Germany who are political officials, the jimu jikan is the highest "ordinary office". It is the tallest in the Japanese ministerial bureaucracy and replaced the pre-war Jikan in 1949 .

The jimu jikan in the Ministry of Defense and before 2007 in the Defense Agency , however, like all defense officials, are “special offices”.

Before 2001: Seimu Jikan

Before the reform of the central government, there was only one political office below the state minister (in ministries, shō and authorities, chō ): the Seimu Jikan ( 政務 次 官 , English Parliamentary Vice-Minister ). It was often filled with relatively young politicians and was considered to have no influence, especially in comparison with the highest officials. In the seniority system of the Liberal Democratic Party , which ruled uninterrupted from 1955 to 1993 , three re-elections as MPs were sufficient for appointment as seimu jikan .

The position was established as early as 1924 under the party governments in the German Empire. The forerunner was the Sanseikan ( 参政 官 ) which was created in 1914 to improve communication between the cabinet and parliament and existed until 1918.

literature

  • Carmen Schmidt: Small commented dictionary on politics in Japan . Tectum Verlag, Marburg 2003, ISBN 978-3-8288-8580-6 .

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