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