Japanese Japanese GovernmentGovernmentBy Ian, Alex, Jamie and Ryan

Executive Executive BranchBranch• The cabinet oversees the nation

(through legal action, budgetary means etc...similar to our executive branch)

• The cabinet consists of the Prime minister (the “chief”) and 20 ministers of state

• The executive branch reports to the Diet.

• The Prime Minister is selected by both houses of the Diet

• The Emperor formally appoints the Prime Minister to office

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda

• The Emperor has no powers related to government

• He has few duties which are closely regulated by the Constitution.

• i.e. he formally appoints the Prime Minister to office, but the Constitution requires him to appoint the candidate "designated by the Diet”

• His additional duties only apply with the consent of the Cabinet.

The The EmperorEmperor

Emperor

Akihito Tsugu-no-miya

The The LegislatureLegislature• The National Diet of Japan

• 2 parts: House of Representatives and the House of Councilors

• The House of Rep. is more powerful and can overrule the House of Councilors

• The “highest organ of state power”• Pass legislation, control budget

decisions, regulate treaties and control the cabinet and the prime minister

Judicial Judicial BranchBranch• Independent of the other two branches

• It is comprised of multiple levels of courts• The Supreme Court has the ultimate judicial authority• The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and 14

other justices • Most cases are handled by district courts• Summary courts deal with traffic violations, etc.• Constitution incorporates a bill of rights• The Supreme Court has the right of judicial review• Their courts do NOT use a jury structure

Constitution of Constitution of 19471947• Set up during the Allied Occupation after World War

II• Instates a parliamentary system• Takes all power away from the Emperor of Japan

excepting that he is a figure-head (as stated in the Constitution, he is only a “…symbol of the State and of the unity of the people…”)

• The Constitution is divided into 103 articles, which are in eleven chapters

• Thirty-one articles are devoted to basic human rights (included in Article 13 of the Japanese Constitution is a guarantee to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”)

ElectioElectionsns

• A system of democracy is used (just like the United States)

• The voting age is twenty years• Japan has a multi-party system with parties including

the “Democratic Party of Japan”, “Liberal Democratic Party”, “Japanese Communist Party”, etc.

• Candidates gain support via Kôenkai, which are personal support groups

• Campaigns are only 12 days long, and involve strict restrictions (such as a limited amount of printed material allowed, only one campaigning car is allowed, etc)

Local Local GovernmentsGovernments• Local Autonomy Law (1947): established

local gov’ts• Divided into 47 prefectures• Prefecture: a sub-national gov’t• Led by an elected governor and a single

chamber parliament• Smaller forms of gov’t are cities, towns, rural

districts and villages which are headed by an elected governor and an assembly or council