Chōsen-jok ( 朝鮮籍 , lit. ' Korean domicile ' ) is a legal status assigned by the Japanese government to ethnic Koreans in Japan who do not have Japanese nationality and who have not registered as South Korean nationals . The status arose following the end of World War II , when many Koreans lost Japanese nationality. Most people with this status technically have both North Korean nationality and South Korean nationality under those countries' respective nationality laws, but since they do not have South Korean documents, and Japan does not recognize North Korea as a state, they are treated in some respects as being stateless .
45-711: As of 2023 there were around 24,000 people with this status, compared to over 410,000 registered South Korean nationals in Japan. Chōsen-seki is a convention made by the Japanese government to register Korean residents in Japan shortly after the Surrender of Japan as if they had been stateless . The Korean people originally had Japanese citizenship during the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula . However, their Japanese citizenship
90-547: A Shadow Shogun . Unlike his European counterparts , the emperor is not the source of sovereign power and the government does not act under his name. Instead, the emperor represents the state and appoints other high officials in the name of the state, in which the Japanese people hold sovereignty. Article 5 of the Constitution, in accordance with the Imperial Household Law , allows a regency to be established in
135-420: A constitution or other law. Common responsibilities of this level of government which are not granted to lower levels are maintaining national security and exercising international diplomacy , including the right to sign binding treaties . Essentially, the central government has the power to make laws for the whole country, in contrast with local governments. The difference between a central government and
180-632: A generalissimo . Although the Emperor was the sovereign who appointed the Shōgun, his roles were ceremonial and he took no part in governing the country. This is often compared to the present role of the Emperor, whose official role is to appoint the Prime Minister. The return of political power to the Emperor (to the Imperial Court) in 1868 meant the resignation of Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu , agreeing to "be
225-560: A state of emergency , and may also dissolve the Diet's House of Representatives at will. The prime minister presides over the Cabinet and appoints, or dismisses, the other Cabinet ministers . Both houses of the National Diet designates the Prime Minister with a ballot cast under the run-off system. Under the Constitution, should both houses not agree on a common candidate, then a joint committee
270-496: A federal government is that the autonomous status of self-governing regions exists by the sufferance of the central government and are often created through a process of devolution . As such they may be unilaterally revoked with a simple change in the law. An example of this was done in 1973 when the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 abolished the government of Northern Ireland which had been created under
315-432: A side, retained Chōsen-seki status. Japan delegates various issues of private civil law (such as family law ) involving foreigners to the foreigners' home country. For example, Zainichi registered as South Korean have their wills determined by South Korean law. With regard to Chōsen-seki individuals, Japanese courts have generally applied South Korean law, but in some cases have applied North Korean law or Japanese law (in
360-468: A term of four years or less; with no limits imposed on the number of terms the Prime Minister may hold. The Prime Minister heads the Cabinet and exercises "control and supervision" of the executive branch, and is the head of government and commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces . The prime minister is vested with the power to present bills to the Diet, to sign laws, to declare
405-767: A travel document; on appeal in 2013, the Supreme Court did not use the term "stateless" but suggested that the individual was not a South Korean national. North Korea has issued nationality certificates and North Korean passports to Chōsen-seki individuals for both visiting and repatriation purposes. Japanese government Naruhito [REDACTED] Fumihito [REDACTED] Shigeru Ishiba ( LDP ) Second Ishiba Cabinet ( LDP – Komeito coalition ) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Fukushiro Nukaga Kōichirō Genba [REDACTED] Masakazu Sekiguchi Hiroyuki Nagahama Saburo Tokura Kazuo Ueda The Government of Japan
450-582: Is 7.8% at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 8% at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and only 1.3% at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. On 12 February 2021, Tetsushi Sakamoto was appointed as the Minister of Loneliness to alleviate social isolation and loneliness across different age groups and genders. The emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and
495-590: Is a series of ministry-affiliated government agencies and bureaus responsible for government procedures and activities as of 23 August 2022. The legislative branch organ of Japan is the National Diet ( 国会 ) . It is a bicameral legislature, composing of a lower house, the House of Representatives , and an upper house, the House of Councillors . Empowered by the Constitution to be "the highest organ of State power" and
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#1732851816544540-400: Is allowed to be established to agree on the matter; specifically within a period of ten days, exclusive of the period of recess. However, if both houses still do not agree to each other, the decision made by the House of Representatives is deemed to be that of the National Diet. Upon designation, the Prime Minister is presented with their commission, and then formally appointed to office by
585-624: Is ceremonial and he has no powers related to the Government. Instead, it is the Cabinet , comprising the Prime Minister and the Ministers of State , that directs and controls the government and the civil service . The Cabinet has the executive power and is formed by the prime minister, who is the head of government . The Prime Minister is nominated by the National Diet and appointed to office by
630-523: Is the central government of Japan . It consists of legislative , executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan , adopted in 1947 and written by American officials in the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II . Japan is a unitary state , containing forty-seven administrative divisions , with the Emperor as its head of state . His role
675-486: Is the common or national government of a federation . The United States is considered the first modern federation. After declaring independence from Britain, the U.S. adopted its first constitution, the Articles of Confederation in 1781. This was the first step towards federalism by establishing the confederal Congress. However, Congress was limited as to its ability to pursue economic, military, and judiciary reform. In 1787,
720-457: Is the only person that has the authority to appoint the prime minister , even though the Diet has the power to designate the person fitted for the position. One such example can be prominently seen in the 2009 Dissolution of the House of Representatives . The House was expected to be dissolved on the advice of the prime minister, but was temporarily unable to do so for the next general election, as both
765-429: The Cabinet is the source of executive power and most of its power is exercised directly by the prime minister , several of its powers are exercised through the Emperor. The powers exercised via the Emperor, as stipulated by Article 7 of the Constitution, are: These powers are exercised in accordance with the binding advice of the Cabinet. The emperor is known to hold the nominal ceremonial authority. For example, he
810-462: The Emperor . As a candidate designated by the Diet, the prime minister is required to report to the Diet whenever demanded. The prime minister must also be both a civilian and a member of either house of the Diet. The Cabinet of Japan ( 内閣 ) consists of the Ministers of State and the Prime Minister. The members of the Cabinet are appointed by the Prime Minister, and under the Cabinet Law,
855-628: The Government of Ireland Act 1920 . It is common for a federal government to be brought into being by agreement between a number of formally independent states and therefore its powers to affect the status of the balance of powers is significantly smaller (as in the United States ). Thus federal governments are often established voluntarily from 'below' whereas devolution grants self-government from above. There are, and have been, many countries which have delegated powers, some include: A federal government
900-460: The House of Councilors being the upper house , and the House of Representatives being the lower house . The members of both houses of the Diet are directly elected by the people , who are the source of sovereignty . The Diet is defined as the supreme organ of sovereignty in the Constitution. The Supreme Court and other lower courts make up the Judicial branch and have all the judicial powers in
945-531: The Lee Myung-bak government . The Moon Jae-in government relaxed travel restrictions for Chōsen-seki individuals in 2017, with Moon stating that "we will normalize visits to their homeland regardless of nationality as a humanitarian gesture." On September 30, 2010, the Seoul High Court declared that an ethnic Korean from Japan with Chōsen-seki status was a "stateless overseas compatriot" and could be refused
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#1732851816544990-649: The National Diet Building , the Imperial Palace , the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister's Office and the ministries are all located. Before the Meiji Restoration , Japan was ruled by the government of a successive military shōgun . During this period, effective power of the government resided in the Shōgun, who officially ruled the country in the name of the Emperor. The Shōgun were the hereditary military governors, with their modern rank equivalent to
1035-620: The Prussian model of the time. A new aristocracy known as the kazoku was established. It merged the ancient court nobility of the Heian period , the kuge , and the former daimyō , feudal lords subordinate to the shōgun . It also established the Imperial Diet , consisting of the House of Representatives and the House of Peers . Members of the House of Peers were made up of the Imperial Family ,
1080-508: The federated states . The structure of central governments varies. Many countries have created autonomous regions by delegating powers from the central government to governments on a sub-national level, such as regional, state, provincial, local and other instances. Based on a broad definition of a basic political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and government through common institutions with overlapping or shared powers as prescribed by
1125-562: The Cabinet cannot be subject to legal action without the consent of the Prime Minister; however, without impairing the right to take legal action. As of 14 December 2023, the makeup of the Cabinet: The ministries of Japan ( 中央省庁 , Chuo shōcho ) consist of eleven executive ministries and the Cabinet Office . Each ministry is headed by a Minister of State , which are mainly senior legislators, and are appointed from among
1170-508: The Emperor and Empress were visiting Canada . In this manner, the emperor 's modern role is often compared to those of the Shogunate period and much of Japan's history , whereby the emperor held great symbolic authority but had little political power ; which is often held by others nominally appointed by the emperor himself. Today, a legacy has somewhat continued for a retired prime minister who still wields considerable power, to be called
1215-467: The Emperor. The current cabinet is Second Ishiba Cabinet , was formed on 11 November 2024, is led by the prime minister Shigeru Ishiba who assumed office on 1 October 2024. The country has had a Liberal Democratic – Komeito coalition minority government since 2024 . The National Diet is the legislature , the organ of the Legislative branch. The Diet is bicameral , consisting of two houses with
1260-528: The Kazoku, and those nominated by the Emperor, while members of the House of Representatives were elected by direct male suffrage. Despite clear distinctions between powers of the executive branch and the Emperor in the Meiji Constitution, ambiguity and contradictions in the Constitution eventually led to a political crisis . It also devalued the notion of civilian control over the military , which meant that
1305-463: The Koreans who then resided in Japan were registered as "of Chōsen" according to their geographical origin as substitution of nationality. Since the foundation of South Korea in 1948, those Koreans have been able to reprocess their foreigner registration in Japan as South Korean nationals willingly. Those who did not do so, either because of an affinity for North Korea or because they did not wish to choose
1350-410: The Prime Minister to appoint some non-elected Diet officials. The Cabinet is required to resign en masse while still continuing its functions, till the appointment of a new Prime Minister, when the following situation arises: Conceptually deriving legitimacy from the Diet, whom it is responsible to, the Cabinet exercises its power in two different ways. In practice, much of its power is exercised by
1395-423: The Prime Minister, while others are exercised nominally by the Emperor. Article 73 of the Constitution of Japan expects the Cabinet to perform the following functions, in addition to general administration: Under the Constitution, all laws and cabinet orders must be signed by the competent Minister and countersigned by the Prime Minister, before being formally promulgated by the Emperor . Also, all members of
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1440-456: The ceremonial head of state . He is defined by the Constitution to be "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". However, his role is entirely ceremonial and representative in nature. As explicitly stated in article 4 of the Constitution, he has no powers related to government. Article 6 of the Constitution of Japan delegates the Emperor the following ceremonial roles: While
1485-565: The emperor's name, should the emperor be unable to perform his duties. On November 20, 1989, the Supreme Court ruled it doesn't have judicial power over the emperor . The Imperial House of Japan is said to be the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki , Japan was founded by the Imperial House in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu. Emperor Jimmu
1530-478: The era name of Reiwa. Fumihito is the heir presumptive to the Chrysanthemum Throne . The executive branch of Japan is headed by the prime minister . The prime minister is the head of the Cabinet , and is designated by the legislative organ, the National Diet . The Cabinet consists of the Ministers of State and may be appointed or dismissed by the Prime Minister at any time. Explicitly defined to be
1575-612: The instrument for carrying out" the Emperor's orders. This event restored the country to Imperial rule and the proclamation of the Empire of Japan . In 1889, the Meiji Constitution was adopted in a move to strengthen Japan to the level of western nations, resulting in the first parliamentary system in Asia. It provided a form of mixed constitutional - absolute monarchy (a semi-constitutional monarchy ), with an independent judiciary, based on
1620-424: The latter case, treating the individual as stateless). Some Chōsen-seki individuals report discrimination based on their status, as it is associated with North Korea. Chōsen-seki individuals cannot obtain a South Korean passport unless they register as South Korean nationals. Historically, they could travel to South Korea with a special travel document issued in Japan, but this practice was curtailed in 2009 under
1665-424: The members of the Cabinet by the Prime Minister. The Cabinet Office, formally headed by the Prime Minister, is an agency that handles the day-to-day affairs of the Cabinet. The ministries are the most influential part of the daily-exercised executive power, and since few ministers serve for more than a year or so necessary to grab hold of the organisation, most of its power lies within the senior bureaucrats . Below
1710-516: The military could develop and exercise a great influence on politics. Following the end of World War II , the present Constitution of Japan was adopted. It replaced the previous Imperial rule with a form of Western-style liberal democracy . As of 2020, the Japan Research Institute found the national government is mostly analog, because only 7.5% (4,000 of the 55,000) administrative procedures can be completed entirely online. The rate
1755-414: The number of members of the Cabinet appointed, excluding the Prime Minister, must be fourteen or less, but may only be increased to nineteen should a special need arise. Article 68 of the Constitution states that all members of the Cabinet must be civilians and the majority of them must be chosen from among the members of either house of the National Diet . The precise wording leaves an opportunity for
1800-437: The only "sole law-making organ of the State", its houses are both directly elected under a parallel voting system and is ensured by the Constitution to have no discrimination on the qualifications of each members; whether be it based on "race, creed, sex, social status, family origin, education, property or income". The National Diet, therefore, reflects the sovereignty of the people; a principle of popular sovereignty whereby
1845-421: The source of executive power , it is in practice, however, mainly exercised by the prime minister. The practice of its powers is responsible to the Diet, and as a whole, should the Cabinet lose confidence and support to be in office by the Diet, the Diet may dismiss the Cabinet en masse with a motion of no confidence . The Prime Minister of Japan ( 内閣総理大臣 ) is designated by the National Diet and serves
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1890-418: The state. The Supreme Court has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the constitution and the power of judicial review . The judicial branch is independent from the executive and the legislative branches. Judges are nominated or appointed by the Cabinet and never removed by the executive or the legislature except during impeachment . The Government of Japan is based in the capital of Tokyo , where
1935-449: The supreme power lies within, in this case, the Japanese people . Central government List of forms of government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state . Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government , which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or delegated to it by the federation and mutually agreed upon by each of
1980-556: Was later revoked by Japanese government after Japan surrendered and gave up sovereignty over Korea, first practically in 1947 under Edict of Foreigner Registration ( ja ) of Allied Occupied Japan , then finally and formally, in 1952 through the San Francisco Treaty . In 1947, Koreans were still technically of Japanese citizenship although Article 11 of the Edict of Foreigner Registration states that they are considered foreigners. Hence,
2025-499: Was the first Emperor of Japan and the ancestor of all of the Emperors that followed. He is, according to Japanese mythology , the direct descendant of Amaterasu, the sun goddess of the native Shinto religion, through Ninigi , his great-grandfather. The current emperor of Japan is Naruhito . He was officially enthroned on May 1, 2019, following the abdication of his father. He is styled as His Imperial Majesty, and his reign bears
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