Opposition (242)
105-498: Ichirō Ozawa ( 小沢一郎 , Ozawa Ichirō , born 24 May 1942) is a Japanese politician and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1969, representing the Iwate 3rd district (Iwate 2nd district prior to the 1996 general election and Iwate 4th district prior to the 2017 general election ). He is often dubbed the "Shadow Shōgun " due to his back-room influence. He was initially
210-473: A party-list system of proportional representation , and 289 are elected from single-member constituencies. The overall voting system used to elect the House of Representatives is a parallel system , a form of semi-proportional representation . Under a parallel system, the allocation of list seats does not take into account the outcome in the single seat constituencies. Therefore, the overall allocation of seats in
315-538: A " Hatomander ". The bill passed the House of Representatives in May 1956, but was never voted on by the House of Councillors. Electoral reform came into vogue again in the 1970s, but Kakuei Tanaka 's plan met opposition internally in the LDP and never came to a vote in either chamber of the Diet. Japan entered a lengthy recession in the 1990s (see Lost Decades ), which many people blamed on
420-683: A "normal nation." Strong ideological consistency was uncommon in Japanese politicians, and the book had considerable impact. Ozawa's insistence on a more assertive role for Japan in international affairs caused friction with members of the Japan Socialist Party in the coalition. Eventually, the Socialists left to form a coalition with the LDP, leaving Tsutomu Hata in charge of a minority government that fell in June 1994. Many, including Hata, blamed Ozawa for
525-465: A 14.84% margin of victory. Nonetheless, he did manage to stay in the House of Representatives through the Tohoku PR block . In November 2023, Ozawa publicly said of CDP's leader Kenta Izumi that "It would be better if he resigns (as representative)" following a statement by Izumi that he aimed to change the government within the next five years, with Ozawa criticizing the words and stating that "What will
630-449: A Chinese-inspired legal system known as ritsuryō was enacted in the late Asuka period and early Nara period . It described a government based on an elaborate and rational meritocratic bureaucracy, serving, in theory, under the ultimate authority of the emperor ; although in practice, real power was often held elsewhere, such as in the hands of the Fujiwara clan , who intermarried with
735-511: A coalition with their old rivals the Socialists, whose leader Tomiichi Murayama became prime minister. As with party colleagues Ichirō Hatoyama and Kakuei Tanaka before him, prime minister Toshiki Kaifu of the LDP unsuccessfully tried to reform the electoral system in 1991. However, the Morihiro Hosokawa government got the 1994 Japanese electoral reform through the Diet, introducing a parallel voting system which went into effect at
840-531: A gesture of neutrality to the other coalition members, and as a means of keeping Hata in the wings as a future option if Hosokawa proved unsuccessful. While Hosokawa served as Prime Minister, Ozawa was recognised as the major political force in the coalition. He capitalised on his reputation in 1993 by publishing a clear statement of his principles in the book Blueprint for a New Japan ( 日本改造計画 , Nihon Kaizō Keikaku ) . The book called for political, legal and military reform to transform Japan into what Ozawa called
945-448: A government that puts a priority on people's lives." He was also announced by Secretary-General Yukio Hatoyama to have decided to switch from Iwate Constituency No. 4 to Tokyo Constituency No. 12 at the next House of Representatives election. On 24 September 2008, the House of Councillors, controlled by the DPJ, elected Ozawa as Prime Minister; however, the House of Representatives, controlled by
1050-527: A major political issue or controversy. One infamous example was on March 14, 1953, when Shigeru Yoshida dissolved the House and called for new election, after he name called people during a meeting of the budget committee. This came to be known as the "you idiot" dissolution . In 1955, prime minister Ichirō Hatoyama oversaw the creation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which since his third government has dominated Japanese politics under
1155-524: A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), serving as its secretary general from 1989 to 1991. He left the LDP in 1993 and subsequently served as head of a number of other political parties, first by co-founding the Japan Renewal Party with Tsutomu Hata , which formed a short-lived coalition government with several other parties opposed to the LDP. Ozawa later served as president of the opposition New Frontier Party from 1995 to 1997, president of
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#17328481781251260-410: A meteoric rise in power within the LDP, although there were also many factions who turned against him. Senior leaders resented having to appeal to the much younger Ozawa for support. ( Kiichi Miyazawa , twenty years his senior, once addressed Ozawa as "Great Secretary General" in a leadership meeting). Ozawa's reputation for organisation was soon matched by his reputation as a young upstart. Ozawa joined
1365-456: A resolution requesting Kada to stop doubling as governor and the head of the TPJ, she resigned as head of the party on 4 January 2013. Long after he last held an influential party post, Ozawa remains widely respected in opposition circles. He is still frequently consulted by opposition party leaders for electoral and campaign strategy against the long-ruling LDP. On 26 April 2019, Ozawa agreed to merge
1470-575: A result of the 1889 Meiji Constitution . It was modeled on the parliaments of several Western countries, particularly the German Empire and the United Kingdom, because of the Emperor Meiji 's westernizing reforms. The Imperial Diet consisted of two chambers , the elected House of Representatives which was the lower house, and the House of Peers which was the upper house. This format was similar to
1575-575: A rise in the consumption tax, Ozawa left the DPJ along with 49 other lawmakers in July 2012. Later that month he formed the People's Life First (PLF) party, which became the third largest party in the lower house of the Japanese Parliament. The focus of the new party was to reduce Japan's reliance on nuclear power and to oppose the consumption tax increase. Shortly before the 2012 general election , Ozawa and
1680-951: A wealthy Tanaka supporter. With Kazuko, Ozawa fathered three sons who were raised in Iwate Prefecture. In June 2012, the magazine Shukan Bunshun published a letter from Kazuko stating that the couple would divorce, alleging that "Ozawa ran away with his secretaries because of fear of radiation" in the wake of the Fukushima disaster of March 2011. House of Representatives (Japan) Unaffiliated (2) 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 House of Representatives ( Japanese : 衆議院 , Hepburn : Shūgiin )
1785-598: Is 'Prime Minister'. This English translation was informally used as the English translation of 'Grand Minister' before the introduction of the cabinet system. However, this was not the original English translation of 'Prime Minister', and a German translation, ' Minister President of the State' , was also used in the past. Before the adoption of the Meiji Constitution , Japan had in practice no written constitution . Originally,
1890-427: Is also criticised for his aggressive power game tendencies in the reorganisation of Japanese political parties in the 1990s. Some critics accuse him of being an opportunist, and point to his repeated party movements. His defenders say that in the relatively ideology-free landscape of Japanese politics, it is his adherence to principle that forces him into conflict with others. Following its surrender on 2 September 1945,
1995-458: Is also where the Emishi leader Aterui had his base. Ozawa attended Keio University , graduating in 1967, and continued his postgraduate studies at Nihon University . He majored in law and intended to become an attorney. In May 1968, his father died of heart failure. After his father's death, Ozawa ran for his father's seat in the 1969 general election , winning the seat at the age of 27. He held
2100-564: Is gone, the Seiwa-kai is in shreds, and the Secretary-General is useless. Why are you dissolving the House of Representatives right away when you are certain that you will be re-elected as President ? There may be a disbandment in the fall after re-election. Before that happens, he may go to North Korea for the publicity." Ozawa has also proven to be a critic of party leader Kenta Izumi , who he describes as "unserious". He has described
2205-478: Is highly likely that Ozawa is an accomplice and should therefore stand trial." Hatoyama and Ozawa announced their resignations as president and secretary general of the DPJ in June, due in part to the scandal as well as Hatoyama's failure to keep a campaign pledge regarding US military bases in Okinawa. Their resignations were intended to save the DPJ's chances in the House of Councillors election later that year. Ozawa
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#17328481781252310-450: Is nominated by both houses of the Diet , before the conduct of any other business. For that purpose, each conducts a ballot under the run-off system. If the two houses choose different individuals, then a joint committee of both houses is appointed to agree on a common nominee. Ultimately, however, if the two houses do not agree, the decision of the House of Representatives is deemed to be that of
2415-407: Is passed by the lower house (the House of Representatives) but is voted down by the upper house (the House of Councillors ) the House of Representatives can override the decision of the House of Councillors by a two-thirds vote in the affirmative. However, in the case of treaties , the budget , and the selection of the prime minister, the House of Councillors can only delay passage, but not block
2520-571: Is the head of government of Japan . The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self Defence Forces and is a sitting member of either house of the National Diet (typically the House of Representatives ). The emperor appoints as prime minister
2625-461: Is the lower house of the National Diet of Japan . The House of Councillors is the upper house . The composition of the House is established by Article 41 [ ja ] and Article 42 [ ja ] of the Constitution of Japan . The House of Representatives has 465 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 176 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by
2730-590: The 1955 System . The LDP would govern without interruption for nearly 40 years until the 1993 election , alone save for a three-year coalition government with the New Liberal Club after the 1983 election . Hatoyama planned to change the electoral system to first past the post , introducing a bill to that effect in March 1956. This was met with opposition from the Socialist Party , who criticized Hatoyama's plan as
2835-451: The DPJ -led cabinets, Kan and Noda Cabinets after the 2010 upper house election ; cf. Nejire Kokkai /"twisted Diets"). Unlike most of his counterparts in constitutional monarchies, the prime minister is both de jure and de facto chief executive. In most other constitutional monarchies, the monarch is at least nominal chief executive, while being bound by convention to act on the advice of
2940-496: The Democratic Socialist Party became Japan's first socialist prime minister and the first since the introduction of parliamentarianism. Since the end of US rule in 1952, it has been the norm that the prime minister dissolves the House of Representatives before its 4-year term expires. Only once, in 1976, did the House last a full 4 years. It has become tradition to give nicknames to each dissolution, usually referencing
3045-1154: The Emperor Abdication Law in 2017, allowing for the 2019 Japanese imperial transition and the succession to the throne of Naruhito . In December 2022, in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and increased military cooperation between China and Russia , prime minister Fumio Kishida announced plans to significantly increase funding for the Japan Self-Defense Forces . 35°40′31″N 139°44′42″E / 35.67528°N 139.74500°E / 35.67528; 139.74500 Prime Minister of Japan 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 prime minister of Japan ( Japanese : 内閣総理大臣 , Hepburn : Naikaku Sōri-Daijin )
3150-559: The Gulf War in 1990. Ozawa expressed admiration for American democracy and praised Americans for electing Barack Obama as president in an August 2010 speech, but he also labeled Americans as "monocellular" or "simple-minded" (単細胞 tan saibō ). In the same speech, Ozawa said, "I don't like British people." Ozawa characterized the War in Afghanistan as an American fight that "had nothing to do with
3255-530: The Hata Cabinet in 1994 and at least numerically the Second Hashimoto Cabinet of 1996 during its first year, but with an extra-cabinet cooperation (閣外協力, kakugai kyōryoku ) agreement with two parties, sufficient to ensure safe majorities for most government initiatives), and several cabinets with a majority in the House of Representatives, but without legislative majority of their own (most recently
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3360-570: The Heian period and until briefly under the Meiji Constitution with the appointment of Sanjō Sanetomi in 1871. The office was replaced in 1885 with the appointment of Itō Hirobumi to the new position of Minister President of State, four years before the enactment of the Meiji Constitution, which mentions neither the Cabinet nor the position of Prime Minister explicitly. It took its current form with
3465-762: The House of Lords in the Westminster system , or the Herrenhaus in Prussia , where the upper house represented the aristocracy . Both houses, and also the Emperor, had to agree on legislation, and even at the height of party-based constitutional government, the House of Peers could simply vote down bills deemed too liberal by the Meiji oligarchy , such as the introduction of women's suffrage , increases in local autonomy, or trade union rights. The prime minister and his government served at
3570-579: The Kan Cabinet and Noda Cabinet . The LDP and Komeito , who had formed a two-party government between 2003 and 2009, came to power again after the 2012 election . Shinzo Abe , who had previously led the First Abe Cabinet , was prime minister for another stint lasting eight years, stepping down for health reasons in 2020. When the Emperor Akihito expressed interest in abdicating, the Diet passed
3675-476: The Liberal Party from 1998 to 2003 (which was part of a coalition government with the LDP of Keizō Obuchi from 1999 to 2000), president of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from 2006 to 2009 and secretary-general of the DPJ in government from 2009 to 2010. In July 2012 he left the DPJ with around fifty followers to found the People's Life First party in a protest against the DPJ's plan to raise
3780-585: The Liberal Party into the Democratic Party for the People , which in turn merged into the Constitutional Democratic Party in 2020. In the 2021 general election , Ozawa's 53-year-long reign in Iwate Prefecture's local electoral constituencies came to end after he was defeated by LDP opponent Takashi Fujiwara , who beat Ozawa with a 4.1% margin of victory. This came after Ozawa won in 2017 with
3885-514: The List of members of the Diet of Japan . Shaded Note that the composition of the ruling coalition may change between lower house elections, e.g. after upper house elections. Parties who vote with the government in the Diet, but are not part of the cabinet (e.g. SDP & NPH after the 1996 election) are not shaded. The Japanese parliament, then known as the Imperial Diet, was established in 1890 as
3990-691: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident and the start of war in 1937, the influence of the Imperial Diet was further diminished, though never eliminated, by special laws such as the National Mobilization Law and expanded powers for cabinet agencies such as the Planning Board. The House of Representatives in the Empire had a four-year term and could be dissolved by the Emperor . In contrast, members of
4095-575: The Sun Party in 1996. By 1998, so many had abandoned Ozawa that he announced the dissolution of the New Frontier Party. Upon the dissolution of the New Frontier Party, Ozawa took his remaining followers to found the Liberal Party . The Liberal Party formed a coalition with the LDP in 1999 to support Keizō Obuchi as prime minister. Obuchi began negotiating a future merger of the Liberal Party with
4200-686: The United Nations or the international community." Ozawa published an article in the leftist monthly political magazine Sekai in October 2007, stating his intention to deploy the Japan Self-Defense Forces as part of the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to Afghanistan if he ever assumes power in the new cabinet. The article was published as a rebuttal to a UN political officer who criticised Ozawa's position to oppose Japan's continual support of
4305-501: The emperor at the Tokyo Imperial Palace . Conventionally, the prime minister is almost always the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives, or the leader of the senior partner in the governing coalition. But there have been three cabinet prime ministers from junior coalition partners ( Hitoshi Ashida : 1948, Morihiro Hosokawa : 1993 and Tomiichi Murayama : 1994), a few minority governments (most recently
Ichirō Ozawa - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-670: The imperial family in the Heian period , or by the ruling shōgun . Theoretically, the last ritsuryō code, the Yōrō Code enacted in 752, was still in force at the time of the Meiji Restoration . Under this system, the Daijō-daijin ( 太政大臣 , Chancellor of the Realm) was the head of the Daijō-kan (Department of State), the highest organ of Japan's pre-modern Imperial government during
4515-400: The next election in 1996 . Under this system, which remains in effect as of 2022, 300 (since reduced to 289) members of the House of Representatives are elected using first past the post in single-member constituencies, while 200 (since reduced to 176) members are elected in regional blocs using party-list proportional representation . Prime minister Junichiro Koizumi introduced a bill to
4620-399: The third Katsura government , accompanied by major demonstrations outside the Diet, was followed shortly by resignation. Subsequently, in the period often referred to as Taishō democracy , it became increasingly customary to appoint many ministers, including several prime ministers, from the House of Representatives – Hara Takashi was the first commoner to become prime minister in 1918. In
4725-559: The DPJ's chief election strategist and remained a very powerful figure in the party. The DPJ won an overwhelming victory in the 2009 election and Hatoyama became prime minister, and it was believed that Ozawa's influence would increase further. The investigation into Ozawa's finances continued despite the DPJ's victory. By January 2010, two of Ozawa's aides had been arrested and one poll found 70% public support for forcing Ozawa to leave office. A prosecution inquest panel concluded in April that "it
4830-507: The Diet. After Tanaka was charged in the Lockheed bribery scandals , Ozawa was the only faction member who attended each of Tanaka's 191 court dates; Ozawa later commented that "the man in power of the day, who took care of me, was made to sit on a bench all day long and I couldn't bear if he was there alone with nobody around;" he also characterized Tanaka as a "scapegoat" on the basis that other politicians were involved in similar activity. Ozawa
4935-404: The Diet. If the House of Councillors does not make a nomination within 10 days of the House of Representatives' nomination, the House of Representatives' nomination becomes the Diet's decision. Therefore, the House of Representatives can theoretically ensure the appointment of any prime minister it wants. The nominee is then presented with his or her commission, and formally appointed to office by
5040-533: The Emperor's pleasure , and could not be removed by the Imperial Diet. However, the right to vote on, and if necessary to block, legislation including the budget, gave the House of Representatives leverage to force the government into negotiations. After an early period of frequent confrontation and temporary alliances between the cabinet and political parties in the lower house, parts of the Meiji oligarchy more sympathetic to political parties around Itō Hirobumi and parts of
5145-658: The Empire of Japan was deprived of sovereignty by the Allies, and the Meiji Constitution was suspended. During the Occupation of Japan, the Meiji Constitution was replaced by a new document, the postwar Constitution of Japan, which replaced the imperial rule with a form of Western-style liberal democracy. Ozawa claims that the Constitution of Japan is not a just constitution and that it is invalid. Ozawa pointed out Japan's diplomatic disability in international affairs, particularly revealed in
5250-439: The House of Councillors cannot be dissolved. Thus the House of Representatives is considered to be more sensitive to public opinion, and is termed the "lower house". While the legislative term is nominally 4 years, early elections for the lower house are very common, and the median lifespan of postwar legislatures has in practice been around 3 years. For a list of majoritarian members and proportional members from Hokkaidō, see
5355-403: The House of Councillors with a two-thirds majority. The last election for the House of Representatives was held on October 27, 2024, in which the Liberal Democratic Party and their coalition partner Komeito failed to reach a majority of 233 seats, instead winning 215, 18 short of a majority. The House of Representatives has several powers not given to the House of Councillors. If a bill
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#17328481781255460-466: The House of Peers had either life tenure (subject to revocation by the Emperor) or a seven-year term in the case of members elected in mutual peerage elections among the three lower peerage ranks, top taxpayer and academic peerage elections. During the war, the term of the members of the House of Representatives elected in the last pre-war election of 1937 was extended by one year. In the 1946 election to
5565-482: The House of Representatives , held under the U.S.-led Allied occupation of Japan , women's suffrage was introduced, and a system of "large" electoral districts (one or two per prefecture) with limited voting was used. A change in the electoral law in April 1945 had for the first time allocated 30 seats to the established colonies of the Empire: Karafuto ( Sakhalin ), Taiwan , and Chōsen ( Korea ); but this change
5670-539: The House of Representatives in 2006 on changing the Imperial Household Law to allow a woman to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne (see Japanese imperial succession debate ), but he withdrew the bill after the birth of Prince Hisahito of Akishino the same year. The LDP once again lost power at the 2009 election , when the Democratic Party -led Hatoyama Cabinet took over, followed in rapid succession by
5775-571: The House of Representatives is not proportional, to the advantage of larger parties. In contrast, in bodies such as the German Bundestag or the New Zealand Parliament the election of single-seat members and party list members is linked, so that the overall result respects proportional representation fully or to some degree. The House of Representatives is the more powerful of the two houses, able to override vetoes on bills imposed by
5880-462: The House of Representatives would now be able to override the upper house in important matters. The constitution also gave the Diet exclusive legislative authority, without involvement of the Emperor, and explicitly made the cabinet responsible to the Diet and requires that the prime minister has the support of a majority in the House of Representatives. The Diet first met under the new constitution on May 20, 1947. Four days later, Tetsu Katayama of
5985-578: The Japanese consumption tax . Ozawa's party merged with the newly founded Tomorrow Party of Japan of Shiga governor Yukiko Kada prior to the 2012 general election , in which the party performed poorly. Ozawa and his followers then left to form the Life Party . Ozawa was born in Tokyo on 24 May 1942. His father, Saeki, was a self-made businessman, who was elected to the House of Representatives from Iwate district. His family hails from Mizusawa, Iwate , which
6090-564: The Japanese government maintains two Boeing 777 , which replaced the Boeing 747-400 also in 2019. The aircraft is also used by the emperor , the members of the imperial family, and other high-ranking officials. They have the radio callsigns Japanese Air Force One and Japanese Air Force Two when operating on official business, and Cygnus One and Cygnus Two when operating outside of official business (e.g., on training flights). The aircraft always fly together on government missions, with one serving as
6195-469: The LDP and DPJ. In November 2009, while visiting the president of the Japan Buddhist Federation, Ozawa declared that Christianity is an "exclusive and self-righteous religion" and that "European and U.S. societies with a background of Christianity are bogged down". He also stated that Islam "is better than Christianity but it is also exclusive." Ozawa married Kazuko Fukuda, the daughter of
6300-410: The LDP, Ozawa and his party joined the Democratic Party of Japan prior to the 2003 general election , reuniting with his old ally Tsutomu Hata under DPJ president Naoto Kan . In 2004, Ozawa was affected by a pension scandal . Although cleared of any legal wrongdoing, he stepped down from the DPJ leadership elections, in which he had been unopposed. This forced Katsuya Okada to assume leadership of
6405-425: The LDP, elected Taro Aso instead, overrode the upper house's decision. In 2009, Ozawa became implicated in the falsification of political funding reports on 400 million yen of campaign donations to his political organization. He resigned as DPJ president in May 2009, while the investigation was still ongoing, and was succeeded by Yukio Hatoyama . Nonetheless, during the August 2009 general election , Ozawa acted as
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#17328481781256510-415: The LDP. In the 1993 election , the party lost power for the first time under the 1955 System, when an eight-party coalition led by Morihiro Hosokawa of the Japan New Party were able to form a government . This government fell apart after nine months, and was succeeded by the Hata Cabinet , another short-lived non-LDP government. The LDP returned to power in 1994 with the Murayama Cabinet , this time in
6615-417: The LDP. The idea of Ozawa returning was met with mixed reaction in the LDP. The YKK partnership of Taku Yamasaki , Junichiro Koizumi and Koichi Kato was strongly opposed to Ozawa, along with anti-reformer Hiromu Nonaka . Powerful faction leader Shizuka Kamei supported Ozawa, chiefly due to similar views on military reform. Eventually, Ozawa's enemies were successful in blocking the merger. Shut out of
6720-412: The Renewal Party, causing the LDP to lose its majority in the Diet. In keeping with his previous LDP role, Ozawa became the behind-the-scenes power broker of the large coalition that took power in the wake of the LDP split. While Ozawa and Hata were the most experienced administrators, they decided to name Morihiro Hosokawa , leader of the tiny Japan New Party , as coalition leader. This was done both as
6825-421: The TPJ and formed the Life Party while suggesting continued corroboration between both parties. Tomoko Abe remained the only TPJ diet member, meaning that the TPJ could not maintain official party status in the diet, which requires five members. Abe and Kada sounded out Green Wind , which has four Diet members, over a possible merger, but the talks were not successful. After the Shiga prefectural assembly passed
6930-535: The Tanaka/Takeshita faction. His rivalry with Hashimoto was particularly prominent, being dubbed the Ichi-Ryu War by the press. After long service on key parliamentary committees, Ozawa's first ministerial appointment was in 1985 when he took on the Home Affairs portfolio under Yasuhiro Nakasone . Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone was impressed with his negotiation skills, particularly his ability to persuade opposition parties to pass difficult consumption tax legislation. Ozawa's skill in behind-the-scenes maneuvers led to
7035-500: The adoption of the Constitution of Japan in 1947. To date, sixty-five men have served this position. The longest-serving prime minister to date is Shinzo Abe , who served in non-consecutive two terms for 8 years, 267 days: from 26 September 2006 until 26 September 2007, and from 26 December 2012 until 16 September 2020. The shortest-serving prime minister to date is Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni , who served for fifty-four days: from 17 August until 9 October 1945. The prime minister
7140-404: The bounds of cabinet collective responsibility , the Japanese Cabinet is effectively an extension of the prime minister's authority. Located near the Diet building, the Office of the Prime Minister of Japan is called the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei ( 内閣総理大臣官邸 ) . The original Kantei served from 1929 until 2002, when a new building was inaugurated to serve as the current Kantei. The old Kantei
7245-410: The cabinet. In contrast, the Constitution of Japan explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the prime minister is the leader; this greatly enhances the prime minister's position compared to prime ministers in other parliamentary democracies. His countersignature is required for all laws and Cabinet orders. While most ministers in parliamentary democracies have some freedom of action within
7350-418: The election, which saw the incumbent LDP-Komeito coalition lose its majority in the House of Representatives. Formerly known as a conservative politician in the LDP, he now takes liberal stances on domestic and international policies. The wide political spectrum in the Democratic Party forced Ozawa to take eclectic approaches, which has become a main source for criticism against him. Aside from his policies, he
7455-431: The first of whom was Itō Hirobumi taking office on 22 December 1885. The longest-serving prime minister was Shinzo Abe , who served over eight years, and the shortest-serving was Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni , who served fifty-four days. The current prime minister is Shigeru Ishiba , who succeeded Fumio Kishida on 1 October 2024, following the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election . In Japanese, due to
7560-639: The group led by Noboru Takeshita that left the Tanaka faction in 1987, shortly before Kakuei Tanaka suffered a stroke and was incapacitated. He became one of the key members of the faction, along with Keizo Obuchi and Ryutaro Hashimoto , both of whom later served as prime ministers. Ozawa became deputy chairman of the Takeshita faction under Shin Kanemaru 's leadership, and became LDP Secretary General from 1989 to 1991. By 1991 Takeshita, Kanemaru and Ozawa were considered
7665-456: The legislation. As a result, the House of Representatives is considered the more powerful house. Members of the House of Representatives, who are elected to a maximum of four years, sit for a shorter term than members of the House of Councillors , who are elected to full six-year terms. The lower house can also be dissolved by the Prime Minister or the passage of a nonconfidence motion, while
7770-509: The liberal parties eventually formed a more permanent alliance, in the form of the Rikken Seiyūkai in 1900. The confidence of the House of Representatives was never a formal requirement to govern, but between 1905 and 1918, only one cabinet took office that did not enjoy majority support in the House of Representatives. During the Taishō political crisis in 1913, a no-confidence vote against
7875-473: The loss. Ozawa himself began to move into the public eye, especially with the arrival of the New Frontier Party . Former Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu had founded the New Frontier Party in 1994. After joining the coalition, it became a catch-all party for the merger of several smaller parties. After a bitter leadership struggle in 1995, Ozawa took over the party, just as his old rival Ryutaro Hashimoto
7980-543: The maritime interdiction forces in the Indian Ocean . The article was published with the intent to provide a viable alternative to the government's plan to continue stationing the Maritime Defense Forces for logistical support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. However, faced with mounting criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, Ozawa later softened his statement and explained that his intent
8085-421: The meeting. Obuchi proposed reducing the faction leader's degree of control over the faction in an attempt to keep Ozawa within the faction, but Ozawa began to plan his departure. In 1993, Ozawa and Hata left the LDP to form the splinter Japan Renewal Party , seriously destabilising the LDP and leading to the ending its 38–year dominance of Japanese politics. Ozawa was extremely successful in luring LDP members to
8190-471: The members of PLF merged with the newly founded Tomorrow Party of Japan of Shiga governor Yukiko Kada . The party went into the election with 12 members in the upper house and 61 in the lower house, but performed poorly, with only nine members in the lower house being re-elected. The upper house members were not up for re-election. Tensions grew within the party and on 29 December 2012 the Ozawa group split from
8295-466: The multi-member districts. Influence of the House of Representatives on the government increased, and the party cabinets of the 1920s brought Japan apparently closer to a parliamentary system of government, and there were several reforms to the upper house in 1925. However, the balance of powers between the two houses and the influential role of extra-constitutional actors such as the Genrō (who still selected
8400-632: The need for election cooperation with the Japanese Communist Party , citing the need for a unification of opposition parties. He endorsed a former political opponent, Yoshihiko Noda , for leader of the CDP in 2024 . After Noda was elected he made Ozawa his second-in-command in the Election Campaign Headquarters, putting Ozawa in a key position in preparing for the October 2024 general election . Ozawa won back his district in Iwate during
8505-451: The part of the prime minister (for example, Kiichi Miyazawa ). The Prime Minister also awards individuals in recognition of their accomplishments in sport, entertainment, and other fields. Some of the awards and commendations offered include the Prime Minister's Award, created by Eisaku Satō in 1966, and the People's Honour Award , created by Takeo Fukuda in 1977. Additionally, the PM also presents
8610-426: The party to its largest victory in history in the upper house election on 29 July 2007. On 4 November 2007, Ozawa announced he would resign as leader of the DPJ, after a controversial proposal made by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda about a grand coalition between the DPJ and the ruling LDP. He brought the proposal to a meeting of the DPJ leadership, which rejected it. He faced criticism for failing to immediately reject
8715-563: The party. Okada resigned after his party suffered dramatic losses against the increasingly popular Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in the September 2005 general election , and his successor Seiji Maehara resigned in April 2006. Ozawa was elected president again on 7 April. The Economist called Ozawa an "increasingly ineffectual bully" in July 2007 and partially blamed him both for enervating reformists in his own party and for DPJ failure to profit from LDP predicaments. Nonetheless, Ozawa led
8820-536: The people think if the main opposition party says it won't aim for the government? No one will support it." Earlier in the same year, he founded a parliamentary faction inside the CDP, leading to the belief that Ozawa is looking to build up his influence again in preparation of another opposition leadership election. He has stated that, in light of the 2023–2024 Japanese slush fund scandal , people should not discount Prime Minister Fumio Kishida , saying that "You have to be careful. You can't let your guard down. Mr. Nikai
8925-638: The person who is nominated by the National Diet (the parliament). The prime minister must retain the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office. The prime minister lives and works at the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei (Prime Minister's Official Residence) in Nagatachō , Chiyoda , Tokyo , close to the National Diet Building . Sixty-five men have served as prime minister,
9030-427: The primary transport and the other serving as a backup with maintenance personnel on board. The aircraft are officially referred to as Japanese government exclusive aircraft ( 日本国政府専用機 , Nippon-koku seifu sen'yōki ) . Until the mid-1930s, the prime minister of Japan was normally granted a hereditary peerage ( kazoku ) prior to leaving office if he had not already been ennobled. Titles were usually bestowed in
9135-507: The prime minister) or the military (that had brought down several cabinets) remained in essence untouched. Within a year of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in September 1931, a series of assassinations and coup attempts followed. Party governments were replaced by governments of "national unity" ( kyokoku itchi ) which were dominated by nobles, bureaucrats and increasingly the military. After
9240-486: The proposal was Yomiuri Shimbun 's executive director Tsuneo Watanabe . On 6 November 2007, he retracted his resignation offer after he was asked to stay on as leader by senior party officials and members. The DPJ re-elected Ozawa as party leader for the third time on 21 September 2008. Ozawa stated on this occasion: "I will do my best, considering this is my last chance to put an end to the LDP-led government and bring about
9345-528: The proposal. At a news conference, he said that he took responsibility for this political turmoil. He also said that he was not leaving the party. There was speculation that the proposal originally came from Ozawa. However, Ozawa denied the press speculation except the Asahi Shimbun and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun , and he said that they manipulated public opinion. It was reported that the power broker of
9450-418: The ranks of count , viscount or baron , depending on the relative accomplishments and status of the prime minister. The two highest ranks, marquess and prince , were only bestowed upon highly distinguished statesmen, and were not granted to a prime minister after 1928. The last prime minister who was a peer was Baron Kijūrō Shidehara , who served as Prime Minister from October 1945 to May 1946. The peerage
9555-560: The same year, the Rice Riots had confronted the government with an unprecedented scale of domestic unrest, and a German Revolution brought the Prusso-German monarchy to an end, the very system Meiji oligarchs had used as the main model for the Meiji constitution to consolidate and preserve Imperial power. Even Yamagata Aritomo and other oligarchs that had been fundamentally opposed to political parties, became more inclined to cooperate with
9660-545: The seat, now known as the Iwate 4th district , until the 2021 general election , winning fourteen re-elections over more than four decades. Shortly after his initial election, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer , temporarily lost his voice and considered resigning from politics, but he made a full recovery after undergoing surgery. Ozawa joined the political faction led by Kakuei Tanaka , which then supported Prime Minister Eisaku Satō . Ozawa became one of Tanaka's closest allies in
9765-760: The senior second rank posthumously. Certain distinguished prime ministers have been posthumously raised to the first rank; the last such award was to Eisaku Sato in 1975. Since the 1920s, following their tenure in office, Prime ministers have typically been conferred with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers (until 2003 a special higher class of the Order of the Rising Sun), depending on tenure and eminence. However, honours may be withheld due to misconduct or refusal on
9870-506: The special nature of the work of the head of government, the prime minister's titles vary depending on context, sometimes demonstrating his/her role. Since the inception of the cabinet system , the prime minister is known in Japanese as Naikaku Sōri-Daijin (内閣総理大臣) whenever he is referred to as the head of the Cabinet. However, this title is usually abbreviated to Sōri-Daijin (総理大臣). Other abbreviations include Sōri (総理), Shushō (首相) or even Saishō (宰相). The official English rendering
9975-423: The still mainly bourgeoisie parties, to prevent a rise of socialism or other movements that might threaten Imperial rule. Socialist parties would not be represented in significant numbers in the lower house until the 1930s. The initially very high census suffrage requirement was reduced several times, until the introduction of universal male suffrage in 1925. The electoral system to the House of Representatives
10080-482: The three strongest members of the faction. However, Ozawa was hurt by a poor LDP showing in the Tokyo gubernatorial election of 1991 as well as heart problems that surfaced around that time. Kanemaru stepped down in 1992, and Ozawa backed finance minister Tsutomu Hata to replace him. The faction's eight member steering committee nominated Obuchi as chairman by a 5–0 vote, with Ozawa and two of his supporters having boycotted
10185-527: Was abolished when the Constitution of Japan came into effect in May 1947. Certain eminent prime ministers have been awarded the Order of the Chrysanthemum , typically in the degree of Grand Cordon. The highest honour in the Japanese honours system, the Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, has only been conferred upon select prime ministers and eminent statesmen; the last such award to a living prime minister
10290-456: Was also fundamentally changed several times: between systems of "small" mostly single- and few multi-member electoral districts (1890s, 1920, 1924), "medium" mostly multi-member districts (1928–1942) and "large" electoral districts (usually only one, rarely two city and one counties district per prefecture; 1900s and 1910s), using first-past-the-post in single-member districts, plurality-at-large voting (1890s) or single non-transferable vote in
10395-420: Was appointed to lead the LDP's election strategy in the 1983 general election , the first to employ a closed list system, and led the effort to elect Sadakazu Tanigaki and Hiromu Nonaka to fill open seats representing Kyoto Prefecture. By the 1980s, he became one of the popular young leaders in the LDP, along with Tsutomu Hata and Ryutaro Hashimoto , both of whom were later elected as prime ministers , in
10500-536: Was assuming leadership of the LDP. Most commentators believed that a new Ichi-Ryu War would finally provide a genuinely competitive two-party system in Japanese politics. Under Ozawa, the NFP made the second-strongest showing in the 1996 general election . However, the New Frontier Party was already beginning to unravel. Ozawa's autocratic leadership style alienated many of his former allies, and even Tsutomu Hata, disillusioned after his leadership battle with Ozawa, seceded to form
10605-567: Was formally indicted in January 2011 for his involvement in the scandal. The Tokyo District Court rejected most of the depositions taken by prosecutors in the case on procedural grounds, and Ozawa was eventually acquitted in April. Prosecutors appealed the case to the Tokyo High Court, which upheld Ozawa's acquittal in November 2012. After a disagreement with DPJ prime minister Yoshihiko Noda over
10710-413: Was never implemented. Similarly, Korea and Taiwan were granted several appointed members of the House of Peers in 1945. In 1946, both houses of the Imperial Diet (together with the Emperor) passed the postwar constitutional amendment which took effect in 1947. The Imperial Diet was renamed the National Diet, the House of Peers was replaced by an elected upper house called the House of Councillors , and
10815-513: Was then converted into the Official Residence, or Kōtei ( 公邸 ) . The Kōtei lies to the southwest of the Kantei, and is linked by a walkway. The prime minister of Japan travels in a Toyota Century . The Lexus LS 600h L , which served as the prime minister's official car from 2008 to 2019, became a spare/alternative vehicle used by the Prime Minister till present. For overseas air travel,
10920-403: Was to Saionji Kinmochi in 1928. More often, the Order of the Chrysanthemum has been a posthumous distinction; both the Collar and Grand Cordon of the order were last awarded posthumously to former prime minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022. After relinquishing office, the prime minister is normally accorded the second or senior third rank in the court order of precedence, and is usually raised to
11025-655: Was to deploy the GSDF (Ground Self-Defense Forces) for logistical support of the civilian component of ISAF, presumably suggesting the PRT or Provincial Reconstruction Team which is a civil-military cooperation unit that works on reconstruction efforts in the provincial areas of Afghanistan. On 24 February 2008, he stated that only the United States Seventh Fleet should be based in Japan. His remarks drew criticism from members of both
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