Japan

J

Communications

In 1993 Japan had more than 59 million telephone subscribers. In 1997 there were about 121 million radios and 92 million television sets were in use. Some 108 daily newspapers are published; their combined circulation is approximately 73 million. Japanese dailies have one of the highest combined circulation levels in the world. The newspapers with the largest daily circulation are Tokyo’s Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun.

V

Government

Japan is governed according to the provisions of a constitution that came into force in 1947. Under the terms of this document, which was formulated under the guidance of the Allied occupation authorities after World War II, the emperor is the symbol of the nation.

A

Executive and Legislature

Between 1889, when the first modern Japanese constitution was promulgated, and the end of World War II in 1945, the supreme executive power in Japan was officially designated as resident in the sacred and inviolable person of the emperor, called the Dai Nippon Teikoku Tenno (“Emperor of the Empire of Great Japan”). The throne is hereditary and descends only in the male line of the imperial family; if no heir is produced, an emperor may be chosen only from four princely families equal in rank to the imperial house. Emperor Akihito, who succeeded to the throne in 1989, is said to be the 125th of his line. Under the 1947 constitution, the emperor has only ceremonial functions.

Executive power is vested in a Cabinet, headed by a prime minister. The prime minister, who is the head of the party in power, chooses the Cabinet from among members of the national legislature (Diet), subject to the latter’s approval. The prime minister and the Cabinet are both responsible to the Diet.

Before the Japanese defeat in World War II, legislative power resided in a House of Peers (composed of hereditary peers, distinguished commoners nominated by the emperor, and a limited number of elective seats) and a House of Representatives elected by male citizens over 25 years of age. Cabinet ministers were responsible to and appointed by the emperor.

Since 1947 the Japanese Diet has been the supreme organ of government power. Members of the Diet designate a prime minister. The Diet is a bicameral body consisting of the House of Representatives (lower house) and the House of Councillors (upper house). Lower-house members, totalling 480, are elected for a term not to exceed four years. Upper-house members, totalling 242, are elected for six-year terms; elections for one-half the membership are held every three years. The lower house is the more powerful of the two houses of the Diet; decisions made by the upper house may be vetoed by the lower house, which also retains control over legislation dealing with treaties and fiscal matters. The first-past-the-post voting system, in place since World War II, was replaced in January 1994 by a partial proportional representation system. In both houses of the Diet, some of the seats are now filled directly through district elections, and other seats are allocated to the various political parties based on national election results. In the lower house, 300 seats are elected and 180 filled by proportional representation; in the upper house, 146 are elected and 96 are filled by proportional representation. All Japanese citizens at least 20 years of age can vote.

B

Political Parties

In 2005 the main political parties in Japan were the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDJP), New Komeito (New Clean Government) Party, and the Japanese Communist Party.

C

Judiciary

The Japanese judicial system is entirely separate from and independent of the executive authority. Except for reasons of health, judges may be removed only by public impeachment. The highest court in the nation is the Supreme Court, established by the constitution and consisting of a chief justice appointed by the Emperor upon the recommendation of the Cabinet and 14 associate justices appointed by the Cabinet. Four types of lower courts are prescribed by the constitution: high courts, district courts, family courts, and summary courts. The Supreme Court is the tribunal of final appeal in all civil and criminal cases and has authority to decide on the constitutionality of any act of the legislature or executive. High courts hear appeals in civil and criminal cases from lower courts. District courts have both appellate and original jurisdiction. Family and summary courts are exclusively courts of first instance. All police forces in Japan are under the control of the central government.