Japan Government

The framework of government in Japan can be described as a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch is relegated to ceremonial and national festivities. The 1947 Constitution of Japan gives the Emperor the official head of state title but the cabinet, composing of the Prime Minister and Ministers of State, is the source of executive power. Like many democratic nations, the government of Japan is divided into three branches, the Executive branch, the Legislative branch and the Judicial branch.

There are 475 members of the National Diet who are elected for a four-year term. 295 of these members are from single-seat constituencies, and the remaining 180 members are propotional representation from 11 districts. The elections for these positions and the Prime Minister are held every three years in Japan, and the current leadership has won the last three elections. The voting age in Japan in 18 years old and voting is not compulsory in the country.

The National Diet is Japan's house of parliament, and it is located in downtown Tokyo near the Imperial Palace. The National Diet is composed of a lower house called the House of Representatives, and an upper house called the House of Councillors. This location was first convened as a parliamentary location in 1889 under the Meiji Constitution, but the current structure of this government branch was laid out in the 1947 Constitution of Japan. The constitution also considers the National Diet as the highest form of political power in the country.

Some of the major political parties of Japan include the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and the Democratic Party of Japan.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Tokyo
Languages	Japanese
Ethnic Groups	Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%
Religion	Shintoism 79.2%, Buddhism 66.8%, Christianity 1.5%, other 7.1%
Government	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Independance	3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)
Area	377,915.00 km²
Water Area	13,430.00 km²
Land Area	364,485.00 km²
Population	126,702,133.00 All primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one-third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)
Location	Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
GDP(PPP)	$4,930,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$38,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the United States, China, and South Korea.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are motor vehicles, iron and steel products, and semiconductors.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, the United States, and Australia.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include petroleum, liquid natural gas, and clothing.
Climate	Varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain	Mostly rugged and mountainous
Learn More	Japan

Japan Government

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