The political framework of Japan

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

Emperor: Naruhito (since 1 May 2019); succeeded his father who abdicated on 30 April 2019
Prime Minister: Fumio KISHIDA (since 4 October 2021)

Next Election Dates

House of Representatives: October 2025
House of Councillors: July 2025

Current Political Context

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) dissolved the lower house of Japan's parliament on 14 October 2021. The elections held at the end of the month saw the ruling party retaining its majority, resulting in the re-election of Kishida as Prime Minister on 10 November 2021 by the lower house with 297 votes against 108 for his opponent Yukio Edano, and in the upper house (141 vs. 60).

The Japanese government is concerned about the intensification of regional security imbalances, especially regarding China’s growing assertiveness: Japan identified the situation around Taiwan as a national security threat, with some representatives of the LDP party explicitly mentioning that a ”major incident” over Taiwan would trigger the deployment of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF).

Meanwhile, Kishida announced a series of measures under his “new capitalism” policy focusing on wealth redistribution and economic growth, as well as supporting supply chain resilience for critical goods (i.e. semiconductors and pharmaceuticals) and facilitating R&D initiatives in the technological sector.

Despite a fall in public support due to the Liberal Democratic Party's links to a religious group, the prime minister, Kishida Fumio, retains sufficient political control because of the opposition parties' weakness and a lack of challengers within the ruling party. However, he will face growing pressure to enact policies to boost wage growth and stimulate the economy in 2023. He will pursue the course originally set by Abe Shinzo with the stimulation of the economy and the adoption of a more active defence policy, including reforming the pacifist constitution. His plan includes an effort to shift income distribution in favour of middle-class households and boost investment in workers.

Facing a hostile domestic climate, Kishida heads into 2023 with diminished political capital but could be banking on a strong performance on the international stage to win support at home.

Main Political Parties

- The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): centre-right, conservative, nationalist, liberal, populist
- The Democratic Party of Japan (CDP): centre to centre-right, liberal
- Komeito (NK): centre-right, conservative, pacifist, in coalition with the LDP
- Japanese Communist Party (JPC): left-wing to far-left, socialist; more than doubled its representation in the last election
- Japan Innovation Party (Ishin): conservative, right-wing, populist
- Democratic Party for the People (DPP): centre to centre-right
- Reiwa Shinsengumi: left-wing, populist and progressive
- Social Democratic Party (SDP): centre-left to left-wing, social-democratic
- NHK Party: populist
- Constitutional Democratic Party: centre-left to left-wing, liberal, pacifist; opposition party
- Japan Restoration Party (JRP): right-wing to far-right, nationalist, populist; third largest force, but is slowly losing representation
- Liberal Party: centre, centre-left

Executive Power

The head of State is the Emperor and the role is largely ceremonial. The leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition in the parliament (House of Representatives) is designated as the Prime Minister for a four-year term. The Prime Minister is the Head of the Government and enjoys executive powers, which include implementation of the law and running of day-to-day affairs. The Cabinet is appointed by the Prime Minister.

Legislative Power

The legislature in Japan is bicameral. The parliament, called National Diet, consists of the House of Councillors (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The House of Councillors contains 242 members, elected through a popular vote for six-year terms, with half of the membership being renewed every three years. The House of Representatives contains 465 members, elected through a popular vote for four-year terms. The Constitution of Japan states that the nation's 'highest organ of state power' is the National Diet. The executive branch of government is directly or indirectly dependent on the support of the National Diet, which is often expressed through a vote of confidence.

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

World Rank:

67/180

Indicator of Political Freedom

Ranking:

Free

Political Freedom:

1/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House