Stephanie Buff
Japanese Government
October 15 2012
The structure of
the Japanese government has become a point of interest for me, especially in
light of the United States election dominating the media. Before doing
research, I was completely unaware of how the Japanese government is
structured. I discovered that the current federal system is a result of the
constitution that was promulgated in 1946 during the occupation by allied
powers. Essentially, the government is sectioned into three branches. The
branches are the legislature, executive, and judiciary, matching the United
states.
The
Japanese legislature consists of a parliament called “the Diet”. The Diet was
first convened as the Imperial Diet in 1889 as a result of Japan’s adoption of
the Meji constitution. It now consists of the House of Representatives and the
House of Councillors. The House of Representatives has 480 members and the
House of Councillors has 242 members. The House of Representatives is referred
to as a lower house, and the House of Councillors is considered the upper
house. The Diet is responsible for passing laws, and additionally responsible
for selecting the Prime Minisiter. All members are selected on an election
basis.
The
executive branch of government contains a cabinet, which is lead by a Prime
Minister. Currently, the Japanese prime minister is Yoshihiko Noda. He is
appointed by the, “Emperor of Japan” after being selected by the Diet. The
emperor is a ceremonial figurehead, and is considered “the symbol of the state
and of the unity of the people”. The Emperor does not have legitimate power in
the Japanese government, and only exists as a symbolic figure. The executive cabinet
consists of the ministers appointed by the Prime minister. The cabinet members
are usually members of the legislative Diet as well.
Lastly, the
Judiciary branch incorporates the Japanese court system. The highest court is
the Supreme Court. Aside from the Supreme Court, there ate district courts,
high courts, family courts, and summary courts. The court’s judges are
appointed by the executive cabinet. The slogan, “All judges shall be
independent in the exercise of their conscience and shall be bound only by this
constitution and the Laws”, is a foundation for the entirety of the Judicial
branch. Judiciaries may not be removed from the bench unless deemed mentally of
physically incompetent.
Elections are
another aspect of the Japanese Government. The minimum voting age in Japan is
20 years old. Furthermore, women have been given the right to vote in elections
by the new constitution. Elections for the House of Representatives take place
every four years and half of the House of Councillors are elected every three
years. In addition to national elections, prefectural and municipal elections
occur as well.
The Japanese
government functions off of a branched system that implements “Checks and
Balances”, to distribute power evenly, much like the United States. I was
surprised by the similarities between governments, especially since other Asian
governments are associated with communist basis. Personally, I find the
position of emperor extraneous in Japan, and this is one obvious difference
between American and Japanese government.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do
you think that the position of emperor is necessary?
2. Are
you surprised by the structure of the Japanese government?
I think the position of Emperor is necessary in keeping the traditions of Japan alive. It is similare to the Queen of England. Although the Emperor may have no say in the government or in any laws, they still represent a lot to the people of Japan and to the world. "The symbol of the state and of the unity of the people" is a perfect description. He symbolizes the Japanese people as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how the emperor is just “the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people”. The mention of an emperor at first surprised me because I hadn't considered that to be something that would still be around since it makes me think of samurai and what not. I think its a good idea to have a figure that basically promotes peace and unity of the people, for then they wont have a political position and can be favorable to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of an emperor is significant to the Japanese culture. The emperor may not hold a key role in the function of the nation, but the emperor remains an important symbol to the history, culture, and unity of the people.
ReplyDelete