Post on 13-Jan-2016
Japan
• Instead of states, Japan has prefectures.
• 47 of them.
• Japan’s current Emperor is Emperor Akihito
• Japan is the third largest economy in the world behind the U.S. and China.
• In March of 2011 Japan suffered a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Facts
• Tokyo is one of the most populated cities in the world.
• Japan has the lowest homicide rate in the world, and has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world.
• It is the third largest economy behind 1, the United States and 2, China
After World War II
• Japan is still a Constitutional Monarchy• They still have an Emperor• Japan was forced to adopt a Constitution in
1947• It strips the Emperor of all ruling power• Today adults in Japan have universal suffrage• There is a clause within the Constitution that
states that the Japanese people must “Forever renounce war as a sovereign right of a nation”
The Diet
• Bicameral- • House of Councillors- Members serve an
advisory role. • House of Representatives- Can force the
Prime Minister to resign or dissolve the House of Representatives
• The Prime Minister is Shinzo Abe• The Emperor is Akihito
Other duties of the House
• Has power to raise taxes, appropriate money and make treaties
• Both houses must pass bills on everything else.
• The House of Representatives can override a negative vote in the other house by a two-thirds vote
Prime Minister
• Whatever party has the most seats in the House of Representatives picks the Prime Minister
• Appoints members of the cabinet
• May dissolve the House of Representatives and call for new elections
The Emperor
• As part of the terms of the surrender of Japan following the Second world war, the Emperor of Japan plays a less political role.
• The Emperor appoints the Prime Minister but by law must appoint whomever is selected by the legislature.
Political parties
• Liberal Democrats- Not liberal but actually conservative. Formed with the urging of the U.S. government to make sure the Socialists and Communists didn’t win elections
• Japan Socialist Party (Now called Social Democratic Party)- a major left wing party
• Democratic Party- emerged to be a strong party in the 1996 election
• Japan Communist party- a left-wing party