1.
Excellency
–
Excellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organisation or state. Generally people addressed as Excellency are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, and others holding equivalent rank and the FIFA President. It is sometimes misinterpreted as a title of office in itself, in reference to such an official, it takes the form His or Her Excellency, in direct address, Your Excellency, or, less formally, simply Excellency. The abbreviation HE is often used instead of His/Her Excellency, alternatively it may stand for His/Her Eminence, in most republican nations, the head of state is formally addressed as His Excellency. If a republic has a head of government, that official is often addressed as Excellency as well. If the nation is a monarchy, however, the customs may vary, in the case of Australia, all ambassadors, high commissioners, governors and the governor-general and their spouses are entitled to the use of Excellency. Governors of colonies in the British Empire were entitled to be addressed as Excellency, in various international organizations, notably the UN and its agencies, Excellency is used as a generic form of address for all republican heads of state and heads of government. Judges of the International Court of Justice are also called Your Excellency, in some monarchies the husbands, wives, or children, of a royal prince or princess, who do not possess a princely title themselves, may be entitled to the style. For example, in Spain spouses or children of a born infante or infanta are addressed as Excellency, also, former members of a royal house or family, who did have a royal title but forfeited it, may be awarded the style afterwards. Examples are former husbands or wives of a prince or princess, including Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. In some emirates, only the Emir, heir apparent and prime minister are called His Highness and their children are styled with the lower treatment of His/Her Excellency. In Spain members of the nobility, holding the dignity of grandee, are addressed as The Most Excellent Lord/Lady. Some of the high ranking counts, Excellency can also attach to a prestigious quality, notably in an order of knighthood. By a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Ceremonial of 31 December 1930 the Holy See granted bishops of the Roman Catholic Church the title of Most Reverend Excellency. In the years following the First World War, the title of Excellency. The adjective Most Reverend was intended to distinguish the title from that of Excellency given to civil officials. The instruction Ut sive sollicite of the Holy Sees Secretariat of State, dated 28 March 1969, cardinals, even those who were bishops, continued to use the title of Eminence. In some English-speaking countries, the honorific of Excellency does not apply to other than the nuncio
2.
Official residence
–
An official residence is the residence at which a nations head of state, head of government, governor or other senior figure officially resides. It may or may not be the location where the individual conducts work-related functions or lives. This has occurred in the 21st century in Detroit and New York City, in the case of Denver, no mayor has ever lived in the official residence, the city instead makes it available to certain non-profit groups for special functions. The President uses own private residence, - Its address is 1 Cheongwadae-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. It is located next to Gyeongbokgung, the palace during the Joseon Dynasty. Cheong Nam Dae - Cheong Nam Dae used to be one of the two residences for the President of Republic of Korea. It was returned to public in 2003, - It is located in Cheongwon-gun, North Chungcheong Province. Cheong Hae Dae - Cheong Hae Dae used to be one of the two residences for the President of Republic of Korea. Although the president no longer uses this facility this compound is still under the administration of the Republic of Korea Navy, - It is located on one of the islands of Geoje-shi, South Gyeongsang Province. Chongri Gonggwan - This is the residence for the Prime Minister of Republic of Korea. The Prime Minister, however, does not work here, - Its address is 111-2 Samcheongdong-gil, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. It is located close to Cheong Wa Dae, gukhoeuijang Gonggwan - This is the official residence for the Speaker of the National Assembly of Republic of Korea. The Speaker, also, does not work here, - It is located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where many foreign missions to Korea are located. Daebeobwonjang Gonggwan - This is the residence for the Chief Justice of Republic of Korea. The Chief Justice, also, does not work here, - It is also located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Most ministers of state and heads of administrative regions also have official residences, although they are not listed here. S
3.
Prime Minister's Official Residence (Japan)
–
The Prime Ministers Official Residence or is the principal workplace and residence of the Prime Minister of Japan. Located at 2-3-1 Nagata-chō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8968, it is adjacent to the National Diet Building. The new residence went into service in April 2002 and replaced the former residence, the former residence is now known as the Sōri Kōtei, Prime Ministers Residential Quarters. The term Kantei is used as a metonym for the office of the Prime Minister of Japan and for the Prime Ministers advisors, the Prime Ministers Official Residence was called Sōri Daijin Kantei, also known as the Sōri Kantei, the Shushō Kantei or simply the Kantei. On the encouragement of Prime Minister Tanaka Giichi, the first residence was completed on 18 March 1929 and it was a two-storied mansion designed by Muraji Shimomoto, of the Ministry of the Treasury and was heavily influenced by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Indeed, Prime Minister Tanaka is said to have exclaimed, This is just like a café, upon seeing the Art Deco style of the building. By the 1990s, the 5,200 square metres building was deemed cramped and insufficient, installed with solar panels and a rainwater storage system, the new building has been designed to minimize environmental impact. In an April 2015 incident, a Phantom 2 drone carrying traces of radiation was found on the roof of the PMs office and it had been controlled by Yasuo Yamamoto, an anti-nuclear protestor from Fukui Prefecture. Yamamoto flew the drone there carrying sand containing cesium from Fukushima prefecture on April 9, Yamamoto later received a two-year suspended sentence. Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet Official YouTube Channel A virtual tour of the Kantei A virtual tour of the former Kantei
4.
Emperor of Japan
–
The Emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and is the ceremonial head of state of Japans system of constitutional monarchy. According to the 1947 constitution, he is the symbol of the State, in Japanese, the Emperor is called Tennō, which means heavenly sovereign. In English, the use of the term Mikado for the Emperor was once common, currently, the Emperor of Japan is the only remaining monarch in the world reigning under the title of Emperor. The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world, in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, it is said that Japan was founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu. He acceded the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa, the role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1192, the Emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander, Japanese Emperors have nearly always been controlled by external political forces, to varying degrees. In fact, between 1192 and 1867, the shoguns, or their shikken regents in Kamakura, were the de facto rulers of Japan, although they were nominally appointed by the Emperor. After the Meiji Restoration in 1867, the Emperor was the embodiment of all power in the realm. His current status as a figurehead dates from the 1947 Constitution, since the mid-nineteenth century, the Imperial Palace has been called Kyūjō, later Kōkyo, and is located on the former site of Edo Castle in the heart of Tokyo. Earlier, Emperors resided in Kyoto for nearly eleven centuries, the Emperors Birthday is a national holiday. Unlike most constitutional monarchies, the Emperor is not the nominal Chief Executive, article 65 of the Constitution explicitly vests executive power in the Cabinet, of which the Prime Minister is the leader. The Emperor is also not the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954 also explicitly vests this role with the Prime Minister. The Emperors powers are limited only to important ceremonial functions, article 4 of the Constitution stipulates that the Emperor shall perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided for in the Constitution and he shall not have powers related to government. It also stipulates that the advice and approval of the Cabinet shall be required for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state, article 4 also states that these duties can be delegated by the Emperor as provided for by law. Article 6 of the Constitution delegates the Emperor the following ceremonial roles, Appointment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as designated by the Cabinet. Dissolution of the House of Representatives, proclamation of general election of members of the Diet. Attestation of the appointment and dismissal of Ministers of State and other officials as provided for by law, attestation of general and special amnesty, commutation of punishment, reprieve, and restoration of rights. Attestation of instruments of ratification and other documents as provided for by law
5.
Term of office
–
A term of office is the length of time a person serves in a particular elected office. In many jurisdictions there is a limit on how long terms of office may be before the officeholder must be subject to re-election. Some jurisdictions exercise term limits, setting a number of terms an individual may hold in a particular office. Being the origin of the Westminster system, aspects of the United Kingdoms system of government are replicated in other countries. The monarch serves as head of state until his or her death or abdication, in the United Kingdom Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected for the duration of the parliament. Following dissolution of the Parliament, an election is held which consists of simultaneous elections for all seats. For most MPs this means that their terms of office are identical to the duration of the Parliament, an MP elected in a by-election mid-way through a Parliament, regardless of how long they have occupied the seat, is not exempt from facing re-election at the next general election. The Septennial Act 1715 provided that a Parliament expired seven years after it had been summoned, prior to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 parliaments had no minimum duration. Parliaments could be dissolved early by the monarch at the Prime Ministers request, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 mandated that Parliaments should last their full five years. Early dissolution is possible, but under much more limited circumstances. Hereditary peers and life peers retain membership of the House of Lords for life, Lords Spiritual hold membership of the House of Lords until the end of their time as bishops, though a senior bishop may be made a life peer upon the end of their bishopric. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are variations on the system of government used at Westminster, the office of the leader of the devolved administrations has no numeric term limit imposed upon it. However, in the case of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government there are fixed terms for which the legislatures can sit and this is imposed at four years. Elections may be held before this time but only if no administration can be formed, offices of local government other regional elected officials follow similar rules to the national offices discussed above, with persons elected to fixed terms of a few years. Federal judges have different terms in office, however, the majority of the federal judiciary, Article III judges, such as those of the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and federal district courts, serve for life. The terms of office for officials in state governments according to the provisions of state constitutions. The term for state governors is four years in all states but Vermont and New Hampshire, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported in January 2007 that among state legislatures,44 states had terms of office for the lower house of the state legislature at two years. Five had terms of office at four years,37 states had terms of office for the upper house of the state legislature at four years
6.
Japan
–
Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
7.
Politics of Japan
–
Legislative power is vested in the National Diet, which consists of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court and lower courts, Japan is considered a constitutional monarchy with a system of civil law. The Constitution of Japan defines the Emperor to be the symbol of the State and he performs ceremonial duties and holds no real power. Political power is mainly by the Prime Minister and other elected members of the Diet. The Imperial Throne is succeeded by a member of the Imperial House as designated by the Imperial Household Law, the chief of the executive branch, the Prime Minister, is appointed by the Emperor as directed by the Diet. He is a member of house of the Diet and must be a civilian. The Cabinet members are nominated by the Prime Minister, and are required to be civilian. With the Liberal Democratic Party in power, it has been convention that the President of the party serves as the Prime Minister. Several political parties exist in Japan, however, the politics of Japan have primarily been dominated by the LDP since 1955, despite an increasingly unpredictable domestic and international environment, policy making conforms to well established postwar patterns. The close collaboration of the party, the elite bureaucracy. After a largely informal process within elite circles in which ideas were discussed and developed and this process often took place in deliberation councils. There were about 200 shingikai, each attached to a ministry, the shingikai played a large role in facilitating communication among those who ordinarily might not meet. These bodies were established but had no authority to oblige governments to adopt their recommendations. The most important deliberation council during the 1980s was the Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform, the commission had nine members, assisted in their deliberations by six advisers, twenty-one expert members, and around fifty councillors representing a wide range of groups. Its head, Keidanren president Doko Toshio, insisted that government agree to take its recommendations seriously and commit itself to reforming the administrative structure, in 1982, the commission had arrived at several recommendations that by the end of the decade had been actualized. Another significant policy-making institution in the early 1990s were the Liberal Democratic Partys Policy Research Council and it consisted of a number of committees, composed of LDP Diet members, with the committees corresponding to the different executive agencies. See also, Industrial policy of Japan, Monetary and fiscal policy of Japan, Mass media, left-wing organizations, such as the Japan Socialist Party and the Japanese Communist Party, quickly reestablished themselves, as did various conservative parties. The old Rikken Seiyūkai and Rikken Minseitō came back as, respectively, the Liberal Party, the first postwar elections were held in 1948, and the Liberal Partys vice president, Yoshida Shigeru, became prime minister
8.
Constitution of Japan
–
The Constitution of Japan is the fundamental law of Japan. It was enacted on May 3,1947, as a new constitution for a post-war Japan, the constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights. Under its terms the Emperor of Japan is the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, no amendment has been made to it since its adoption. The Meiji Constitution was the law of the Empire of Japan. It provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based on the Prussian, under the Meiji Constitution, the prime minister and his cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the elected members of the Diet. Pursuing the regular amending procedure of the Meiji Constitution, it was revised to become the Post-war Constitution on 3 November 1946. The Post-war Constitution has been in force since 3 May 1947, on 26 July 1945, Allied leaders Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman, and Chiang Kai-shek issued the Potsdam Declaration, which demanded Japans unconditional surrender. Freedom of speech, of religion, and of thought, as well as respect for the human rights shall be established. The Allies sought not merely punishment or reparations from a militaristic foe, in the words of political scientist Robert E. Ward, The occupation was perhaps the single most exhaustively planned operation of massive and externally directed political change in world history. The wording of the Potsdam Declaration—The Japanese Government shall remove all obstacles, instead, they wished to encourage Japans new leaders to initiate democratic reforms on their own. But by early 1946, MacArthurs staff and Japanese officials were at odds over the most fundamental issue, in late 1945, Shidehara appointed Jōji Matsumoto, state minister without portfolio, head of a blue-ribbon committee of Constitutional scholars to suggest revisions. The Matsumoto Commissions recommendations, made public in February 1946, were quite conservative, MacArthur rejected them outright and ordered his staff to draft a completely new document. An additional reason for this was that on January 24,1946, much of the drafting was done by two senior army officers with law degrees, Milo Rowell and Courtney Whitney, although others chosen by MacArthur had a large say in the document. The articles about equality between men and women were written by Beate Sirota, MacArthur gave the authors less than a week to complete the draft, which was presented to surprised Japanese officials on 13 February 1946. On 6 March 1946 the government publicly disclosed an outline of the pending Constitution, on 10 April elections were held for the House of Representatives of the Ninetieth Imperial Diet, which would consider the proposed Constitution. The election law having changed, this was the first general election in Japan in which women were permitted to vote. The MacArthur draft, which proposed a unicameral legislature, was changed at the insistence of the Japanese to allow a bicameral one, in most other important respects, the government adopted the ideas embodied in the 13 February document in its own draft proposal of 6 March. These included the constitutions most distinctive features, the role of the Emperor, the prominence of guarantees of civil and human rights
9.
Meiji Constitution
–
Enacted after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, it provided for a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, based jointly on the Prussian and British models. Under the Meiji Constitution, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet were not necessarily chosen from the members of the Diet. Through the regular procedure for amendment of the Meiji Constitution, it was revised to become the Postwar Constitution on November 3,1946. The Diet primarily dictated domestic policy matters, the immediate consequence of the Constitution was the opening of the first Parliamentary government in Asia. The Meiji Constitution established clear limits on the power of the executive branch and it also created an independent judiciary. Civil rights and civil liberties were guaranteed, though in many cases they were subject to limitation by law, however, it was ambiguous in wording, and in many places self-contradictory. It was the struggle between these tendencies that dominated the government of the Empire of Japan, the Meiji Constitution was used as a model for the 1931 Ethiopian Constitution by the Ethiopian intellectual Tekle Hawariat Tekle Mariyam. This was one of the reasons why the progressive Ethiopian intelligentsia associated with Tekle Hawariat were known as Japanizers, by the surrender in the World War II on 2 September 1945, 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 and this document—officially an amendment to the Meiji Constitution—replaced imperial rule with a form of Western-style liberal democracy. Prior to the adoption of the Meiji Constitution, Japan had in practice no written constitution, in theory the last ritsuryō code, the Yōrō Code enacted in 752, was still in force at the time of the Meiji Restoration. The high positions in the system remained as sinecures, and the emperor was de-powered and set aside as a symbolic figure who reigned. The idea of a constitution had been a subject of heated debate within. The conservative Meiji oligarchy viewed anything resembling democracy or republicanism with suspicion and trepidation, the Freedom and Peoples Rights Movement demanded the immediate establishment of an elected national assembly, and the promulgation of a constitution. The United States Constitution was rejected as too liberal, the French and Spanish models were rejected as tending toward despotism. The Reichstag and legal structures of the German Empire, particularly that of Prussia, influence was also drawn from the British Westminster system, although it was considered as being unwieldy and granting too much power to Parliament. He also rejected some notions as unfit for Japan, as they stemmed from European constitutional practice, the Council of State was replaced in 1885 with a cabinet headed by Itō as Prime Minister. The positions of Chancellor, Minister of the Left, and Minister of the Right, in their place, the Privy Council was established in 1888 to evaluate the forthcoming constitution, and to advise Emperor Meiji. After numerous drafts from 1886–1888, the version was submitted to Emperor Meiji in April 1888
10.
Law of Japan
–
The Law of Japan refers to the entirety of the legally achieved norms in Japan. Pre-Modern History The early laws of Japan is believed to be influenced by Chinese law. Little is known about Japanese law prior to the seventh century, before Chinese characters were adopted and adapted by the Japanese, the Japanese had no known writing system with which to record their history. Chinese characters were known to the Japanese in earlier centuries, and these immigrants, wherever they came from, had significant influence on the development of Japan. It is theorized by some that the flow of immigrants was accelerated by both internal and external circumstances and these disturbances produced a large number of refugees who were exiled or forced to escape from their homelands. During these periods, Japanese law was unwritten and immature, nonetheless, Japanese society could not have functioned without some sort of law, however unofficial. Glimpses of the law regulating peoples social lives may be guessed at by considering the few contemporary general descriptions in Chinese historical books. The most noted of these is The Record on the Men of Wa, according to this account, Japanese indigenous law was based on the clan system, with each clan forming a collective unit of Japanese society. A clan comprised extended families and was controlled by its chief, the law of the court organised the clan chiefs into an effective power structure, in order to control the whole of society through the clan system. The form of laws is not clearly known, but they may be characterised as indigenous and unofficial. In this period, a powerful polity and a more developed legal system than the unofficial clan law of the struggling clan chiefs was required effectively to govern the society as a whole. Yamatai must have been the first central government which succeeded in securing the power through the leadership of Queen Himiko. This leads to the assertion that Yamatai had its own system of law, perhaps court law. As a result, the legal system formed a primitive legal pluralism of court law. Two qualifications can be added to these assertions, first, some Korean law must have been transplanted, albeit unsystematically, this can be seen by the rank system in court law and the local customs among settled immigrants. For these reasons, it cannot be denied that a primitive legal pluralism had developed based on court and clan law, partially with Korean law and overwhelmingly with indigenous law. These traits of legal pluralism, however primitive, were the prototype of the Japanese legal system developed in later periods into more organised legal pluralisms. Modern Developments and Japanese Law Today The early modernization of the Japanese law was based on continental European legal systems
11.
Chrysanthemum Throne
–
The Chrysanthemum Throne is the term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. In a metonymic sense, the Chrysanthemum Throne also refers rhetorically to the head of state, Japan is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world. In much the same sense as the British Crown, the Chrysanthemum Throne is an abstract concept that represents the monarch. According to legend, the Japanese monarchy is said to have founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu. The extant historical records only reach back to Emperor Ōjin, who is considered to have reigned into the early 4th century, in the 1920s, then-Crown Prince Hirohito served as regent during several years of his fathers reign, when Emperor Taishō was physically unable to fulfill his duties. However, the Prince Regent lacked the powers of the throne which he could only attain after his fathers death. The current Constitution of Japan considers the Emperor as the symbol of the State, the modern Emperor is a constitutional monarch. The metonymic meanings of Chrysanthemum Throne encompass the modern monarchy and the chronological list of legendary, the throne Takamikura is located in the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It is the oldest surviving throne used by the monarchy and it sits on an octagonal dais,5 metres above the floor. It is separated from the rest of the room by a curtain, the throne is used mainly for the enthronement ceremony, along with the twin throne michodai. This flexible English term is also a rhetorical trope, the Chrysanthemum throne is also understood as a synecdoche, which is related to metonymy and metaphor in suggesting a play on words by identifying a closely related conceptualization, e. g. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Yōzei is said to have acceded to the throne. Referring to the specific with the general, such as Chrysanthemum Throne for the reign of Emperor Yōzei or equally as well for the ambit of the Imperial system. Nihongi, Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A. D.697, brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. The Chrysanthemum Throne, A History of the Emperors of Japan, a Political History of Japan During the Meiji Era, 1867-1912. OCLC194887 Post, Jerrold and Robert S. Robins, nihon Odai Ichiran, ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris, Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain, a Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns, Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa
12.
List of Emperors of Japan
–
This list of Emperors of Japan presents the traditional order of succession. Records of the reigns of the Emperors of Japan are compiled according to the traditional Japanese calendar. In the nengō system which has been in use since the century, years are numbered using the Japanese era name. The sequence, order and dates of the first 28 Emperors of Japan, emperor of Japan List of Japanese Imperial Advisers List of shoguns Japanese emperors family tree Ackroyd, Joyce. Lessons from History, the Tokushi yoron, ISBN9780702214851, OCLC157026188 Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. Gukanshō, The Future and the Past, ISBN 978-0-520-03460-0, OCLC251325323 Titsingh, Isaac. Nihon Odai Ichiran, ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, paris, Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. Jinnō Shōtōki, A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns, ISBN 978-0-231-04940-5, OCLC59145842 The Imperial Household Agency Japan opens imperial tombs for research
13.
Akihito
–
Akihito is the reigning Emperor of Japan. He is the 125th emperor of his line according to Japans traditional order of succession, Akihito succeeded his father Shōwa and acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 7 January 1989. There has been ongoing coverage of his possible abdication due to age,31 December 2018 and 1 January 2019 has been mentioned as possible dates of such abdication. In Japan, the Emperor is never referred to by his given name, in writing, the Emperor is also referred to formally as The Reigning Emperor. The Era of Akihitos reign bears the name Heisei, and according to custom he will be renamed Emperor Heisei by order of the Cabinet after his death, at the same time, the name of the next era under his successor will also be established. Akihito was born in the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo City, Japan, and is the elder son and the fifth child of the Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. Titled Prince Tsugu as a child, he was raised and educated by his private tutors, unlike his predecessors in the Imperial family, he did not receive a commission as an army officer, at the request of his father, Hirohito. During the American firebombing raids on Tokyo in March 1945, Akihito and his younger brother, during the American occupation of Japan following World War II, Prince Akihito was tutored in the English language and Western manners by Elizabeth Gray Vining. He briefly studied at the Department of Political Science at Gakushuin University in Tokyo, Akihito was heir-apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne from the moment of his birth. His formal Investiture as Crown Prince was held at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on 10 November 1952, in June 1953 Akihito represented Japan at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London. Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko made official visits to thirty-seven countries, upon the death of Emperor Hirohito on 7 January 1989, his eldest son the Crown Prince Akihito succeeded to the throne, with an enthronement ceremony taking place on 12 November 1990. In 1998, during a visit to the United Kingdom. Emperor Akihito underwent surgery for cancer on 14 January 2003. Since succeeding to the throne, Emperor Akihito has made an effort to bring the Imperial family closer to the Japanese people, the Emperor and Empress of Japan have made official visits to eighteen countries and to all forty-seven Prefectures of Japan. The Emperor and Empress also made a visit on Wednesday,30 March 2011 to a temporary shelter housing refugees of the disaster and this kind of event is also extremely rare, though in line with the Emperors attempts to bring the Imperial family closer to the people. Later in 2011 he was admitted to suffering from pneumonia. In February 2012 it was announced that the Emperor would be having a coronary examination, however, senior officials within the Imperial Household Agency have denied that there is any official plan for the monarch to abdicate. A potential abdication by the Emperor would require an amendment to the Imperial Household Act, on 8 August 2016, the Emperor gave a rare televised address, where he emphasized his advanced age and declining health, this address is interpreted as an implication of his intention to abdicate
14.
Line of succession to the Japanese throne
–
The current line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne is based on the Imperial Household Law. At present, only males are allowed to succeed to the throne, the list below contains all princes currently eligible to succeed to the throne. The list below contains all princes currently eligible to succeed to the throne, the Imperial House Law of 1889 was the first Japanese law to regulate the imperial succession. Until October 1947, when it was abolished and replaced with the Imperial Household Law, in all instances, the succession proceeded from the eldest male heir to the youngest. In the majority of cases, the sons and male heirs of an emperor were favoured over those born to concubines. The amendment provided for princes to leave the family, either by imperial decree or by imperial sanction. They were then granted a name and assumed the status of nobles with the peerage titles of marquis or count. Alternatively, a prince could be adopted into a noble family or succeed to the headship of an imperial family line as a noble. Prince Fushimi Kuniie had 17 sons in all by various concubines, a 1907 amendment to the Imperial House Law further reduced the number of imperial princes eligible to succeed to the throne. The main Fushimi-no-miya line and the Kuni, Kaya, Asaka, Higashikuni, Takeda, the present head of the Fushimi-no-miya family and the head of the Kitashirakawa branch lack male heirs to continue their lineages, however. Debate over the succession was first raised in the late 1920s after the Shōwa Emperors accession. As a career officer and known nationalist with radical leanings. Still, in 1938 Prince Saionji expressed his worry that Prince Chichibu might someday usurp the throne by violent means, by October 1940, however, Prince Chichibu had become seriously ill with pulmonary tuberculosis, and led a retired life from then on. He was quietly passed over in the line of succession in favour of his brother Prince Takamatsu, in an emergency, Prince Takamatsu was intended to assume the regency for his nephew the Crown Prince. In July 1944, though the hopelessness of Japans war effort became clear after the loss of Saipan, on 8 July, the decision was formally taken, with Prince Takamatsu endorsing it several days later. By this plan, Prince Higashikuni would replace Tojo as premier, however, the plan was ultimately dismissed as being too risky. Article 2 of the Constitution of Japan provides that The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic, the Imperial Household Law of 1947 enacted by the 92nd and last session of the Imperial Diet, retained the exclusion on female dynasts found in the 1889 law. Before September 2006, there was a succession crisis since no male child had been born into the imperial family since Prince Akishino in 1965
15.
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan
–
Naruhito, Crown Prince of Japan is the elder son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, which makes him the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Naruhito is first in line to become the 126th Emperor according to Japans traditional order of succession, in January 2017, reports emerged that the Emperor was considering abdicating the throne at the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019. Crown Prince Naruhito would succeed his father to the Chrysanthemum Throne, Naruhito was born on 23 February 1960 in a makeshift hospital on the grounds of the palace. The prince later quipped, I was born in a barn inside the moat, naruhitos childhood was reported to be happy, and he enjoyed such diverse hobbies as music, mountain climbing, and riding. He played with the children of the chamberlain, and he was a fan of the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League. He later said, I have had a keen interest in roads since childhood, on roads you can go to the unknown world. Since I have been leading a life where I have few chances to go out freely, roads are a bridge to the unknown world. In August 1974, when the prince was 14, he was sent to Melbourne, naruhitos father, then the Crown Prince Akihito, had had a positive experience there on a trip the year before and encouraged his son to go as well. He stayed with the family of businessman Colin Harper and he got along with his host brothers, riding around Point Lonsdale, playing violin and tennis, and climbing Uluru together. Once he even played violin for dignitaries at a dinner at Government House hosted by Governor-General Sir John Kerr. When Naruhito was four years old he was enrolled in the prestigious Gakushūin school system, in senior high, Naruhito joined the geography club. Naruhito graduated from Gakushuin University in March 1982 with a Bachelor of Letters degree in History, in July of the next year he entered a three-month intensive English course before entering Merton College, Oxford University, in the United Kingdom, where he would study until 1986. Naruhito would not, however, submit his thesis A Study of Navigation and he later revisited these years in his book, The Thames and I--a Memoir of Two Years at Oxford. Among his sightseeing destinations were some 21 historic pubs, including the Trout Inn, Naruhito joined the Japan Society and the drama society, and was the honorary president of the karate and judo clubs. He played inter-college tennis, seeding number three out of six on the Merton team, and took lessons from a pro. In his three years at Merton he also climbed the highest peaks in three of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, Scotlands Ben Nevis, Wales Snowdon and Scafell Pike in England. While at Oxford, Naruhito also was able to go sightseeing across Europe and meet many of its royalty, the relatively relaxed manners of the United Kingdoms royals amazed him, Queen Elizabeth II, he noted with surprise, poured her own tea and served the sandwiches. He also went skiing with Liechtensteins Hans-Adam II, holidayed on Majorca in the Mediterranean with Juan Carlos I, upon his return to Japan, Naruhito would enroll once more in Gakushuin University to earn a Master of Humanities degree in History, successfully earning his degree in 1988
16.
Imperial House of Japan
–
Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people. Other members of the family perform ceremonial and social duties. The duties as an Emperor are passed down the line to their children, the Japanese monarchy is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. The imperial house recognizes 125 monarchs beginning with the legendary Emperor Jimmu and continuing up to the current emperor, Akihito, see its family tree. Historical evidence for the first 29 emperors is marginal by modern standards, in English, shinnō and ō are both translated as prince as well as shinnōhi, naishinnō, ōhi and joō as princess. There are currently 19 members of the Imperial Family, The Emperor was born at Tokyo Imperial Palace on 23 December 1933 and he was married on 10 April 1959 to Michiko Shōda. Emperor Akihito succeeded his father as emperor on 7 January 1989 and he became heir apparent upon his fathers accession to the throne. Crown Prince Naruhito was married on 9 June 1993 to Masako Owada, the Crown Princess was born on 9 December 1963, the daughter of Hisashi Owada, a former vice minister of foreign affairs and former permanent representative of Japan to the United Nations. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have one daughter, The Princess Toshi The Prince Akishino, the Emperors second son and his childhood title was Prince Aya. He received the title Prince Akishino and permission to start a new branch of the family upon his marriage to Kiko Kawashima on 29 June 1990. The Princess Akishino was born on 11 September 1966, the daughter of Tatsuhiko Kawashima and his childhood title was Prince Yoshi. He received the title Prince Hitachi and permission to set up a new branch of the family on 1 October 1964. The Princess Hitachi was born on 19 July 1940, the daughter of former Count Yoshitaka Tsugaru, Prince and Princess Hitachi have no children. The Princess Mikasa is the widow of the Prince Mikasa, the son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. The Princess was born on 4 June 1923, the daughter of Viscount Masanori Takagi. Princess Mikasa has two daughters and three sons with the late Prince Mikasa, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa is the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, the eldest son of the Prince and Princess Mikasa and a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. The Princess was born on 9 April 1955, the daughter of Takakichi Asō, chairman of Asō Cement Co. and his wife, Kazuko, the Princess was born 10 July 1953, the eldest daughter of Shigejiro Tottori. She married the prince on 6 December 1984, originally known as Prince Norihito of Mikasa, he received the title Prince Takamado and permission to start a new branch of the imperial family on 1 December 1984
17.
Imperial Household Agency
–
The Imperial Household Agency is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family and also keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD up to the Second World War, the Agency is headed by the Grand Steward and he is assisted by the Vice-Grand Steward. The agencys headquarters is located within the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, visitors who wish to tour the Tokyo Imperial Palace, the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the Katsura Detached Palace, and other sites, should register for guided tours with the agency first. The Agency has responsibility for the health, security and travel arrangements of the Imperial family, the Board of the Chamberlains, headed by the Grand Chamberlain, manages the daily life of the Emperor and the Empress. It also keeps the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan, a Grand Master of the Crown Princes Household helps manage the schedules, dining menus, and household maintenance of the Crown Prince and his family. The Imperial Household Agency can trace its origins back to the established by the Taihō Code promulgated in 701–702 AD. The Ritsuryō system established the namesake Ministry of the Imperial Household which is a precursor to the present agency, the basic structures remained in place until the Meiji Restoration. The early Meiji government officially installed Imperial Household Ministry on 15 August 1869, meanwhile, the Meiji government created the Board of Ceremonies in 1871, which was soon renamed Bureau of Ceremonies in 1872. The Bureau of the Ceremonies was initially under the sway of the Great Council of State but was transferred to the control of the Imperial Household Ministry in September 1877, the Bureau underwent yet another name change to Board of Ceremonies in October 1884. Since then, the name remained unchanged and is, today, the ministry also oversaw the official appointments of Imperial Household Artists and commissioned their work. The Imperial Household Office was a version of the ministry. Its staff size was downscaled from 6,200 to less than 1,500, in 1949, Imperial Household Office became the Imperial Household Agency, and placed under the fold of the newly created Prime Ministers Office, as an external agency attached to it. In 2001, the Imperial Household Agency was organizationally re-positioned under the Cabinet Office and these criticisms have become more muted in recent years, Emperor Akihito has himself done much to make the Japanese monarchy less aloof. Prince Naruhito, in May 2004, criticised the then-Grand Steward of the Imperial Household, Toshio Yuasa, for putting pressure on Princess Masako, Naruhitos wife, to bear a male child. Such research, particularly on the ancient tombs in the Kansai region of western Japan, has the potential to yield a great bounty of information on the origins of Japanese civilization. The Imperial Household Agency is headed by the Grand Steward, whose appointment or dismissal is subject to the Emperors approval, the Grand Steward is vested with comprehensive control over administrate activities within the agency, and supervisory authority over the service performance of the staff. Imperial Household Law Chamberlain of Japan Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan Imperial Household Department, China Matsushiro Underground Imperial Headquarters Shigeru, Yoshida, ISBN 978-0-7425-3932-7/ISBN 978-0-7425-3933-4, OCLC238440967 Kokusai Kyōiku Jōhō Sentā. Tokyo, International Society for Educational Information, OCLC24145536 The Imperial Household Agency Website
18.
National Diet
–
The National Diet is Japans bicameral legislature. It is composed of a house called the House of Representatives. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under parallel voting systems, in addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally responsible for selecting the Prime Minister. The Diet was first convened as the Imperial Diet in 1889 as a result of adopting the Meiji Constitution, the Diet took its current form in 1947 upon the adoption of the post-war constitution and is considered by the Constitution to be the highest organ of state power. The National Diet Building is located in Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, the houses of the Diet are both elected under parallel voting systems. Voters are also asked to cast two votes, one for a candidate in a constituency, and one for a party list. Any national of Japan at least 18 years of age may vote in these elections, Japans parallel voting system is not to be confused with the Additional Member System used in many other nations. House of Councillors, Of 242 members,146 are elected from 47 prefectural constituencies by means of the Single Non-Transferable Vote, the remaining 96 are elected by open list PR from a single national list. However it does guarantee universal adult suffrage and a secret ballot and it also insists that the electoral law must not discriminate in terms of race, creed, sex, social status, family origin, education, property or income. Generally, the election of Diet members is controlled by statutes passed by the Diet and this is a source of contention concerning re-apportionment of prefectures seats in response to changes of population distribution. For example, the Liberal Democratic Party had controlled Japan for most of its post-war history, in recent elections the malapportionment ratio amounted to 4.8 in the House of Councillors and 2.3 in the House of Representatives. Candidates for the house must be 25 years old or older and 30 years or older for the upper house. All candidates must be Japanese nationals, under Article 49 of Japans Constitution, Diet members are paid about ¥1.3 million a month in salary. Article 41 of the Constitution describes the National Diet as the highest organ of State power and this statement is in forceful contrast to the Meiji Constitution, which described the Emperor as the one who exercised legislative power with the consent of the Diet. The Diets responsibilities include not only the making of laws but also the approval of the national budget that the government submits. It can also initiate draft constitutional amendments, which, if approved, the Diet may conduct investigations in relation to government. The Prime Minister must be designated by Diet resolution, establishing the principle of legislative supremacy over executive government agencies, the government can also be dissolved by the Diet if it passes a motion of no confidence introduced by fifty members of the House of Representatives. Government officials, including the Prime Minister and Cabinet members, are required to appear before Diet investigative committees, the Diet also has the power to impeach judges convicted of criminal or irregular conduct
19.
House of Representatives (Japan)
–
The House of Representatives is the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors is the upper house, the House of Representatives has 475 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these,180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,238 seats are required for a majority. The overall voting system used to elect the House of Representatives is a parallel system, under a parallel system the allocation of list seats does not take into account the outcome in the single seat constituencies. Therefore, the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives is not proportional. In contrast, in such as the German Bundestag the election of single-seat members and party list members is linked. The House of Representatives is the powerful of the two houses, able to override vetoes on bills imposed by the House of Councillors with a two-thirds majority. It can be dissolved by the Prime Minister at will, the most recent was by Shinzō Abe on November 21,2014, japanese nationals aged 18 years and older may vote. Japanese nationals aged 25 years and older may run for office in the lower house, the House of Representatives has several powers not given to the House of Councillors. If a bill is passed by the house but is voted down by the upper house 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 minister, the House of Councillors can only delay passage. 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, 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 house are very common. Parties who vote with the government in the Diet, but are not part of the cabinet are not shaded, the elected House of Representatives served as the lower house of the Imperial Diet. The government and the minister leading it were neither responsible to nor elected by the Imperial Diet. But the right to vote on legislation and more importantly the budget gave the House of Representatives leverage to force the government into negotiations
20.
Tatsuo Kawabata
–
Tatsuo Kawabata is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet. A native of Ōmihachiman, Shiga, he attended Kyoto University and he was elected for the first time in 1986. His elder brother is former mayor of Omihachiman Gohei Kawabata, in September 2011 he was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications in the cabinet of newly appointed prime minister Yoshihiko Noda. He was relieved from the post on 1 October 2012
21.
House of Councillors (Japan)
–
The House of Councillors is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house, the House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, in other decisions, the House of Representatives can override a vote of the House of Councillors only by a two-thirds majority of members present. The House of Councillors has 242 members who each serve six-year terms, Councillors must be at least 30 years old, compared with 25 years old in the House of Representatives. The House cannot be dissolved, as half of its membership is elected at each election. Of the 121 members subject to each time,73 are elected from the 47 prefectural districts and 48 are elected from a nationwide list by proportional representation with open lists. For a list of members, see the List of members of the Diet of Japan. The House initially had 250 seats, two seats were added to the House in 1970 after the agreement on the repatriation of Okinawa, increasing the House to a total of 252. Legislation aimed at addressing malapportionment that favoured less-populated prefectures was introduced in 2000, further reforms to address malapportinoment took effect in 2007 and 2016, but did not change the total number of members in the house. From 1947 to 1983, the House had 100 seats allocated to a national block and it was originally intended to give nationally prominent figures a route to the House without going through local electioneering processes. Shintaro Ishihara won a record 3 million votes in the block in the 1968 election. The national block was last seen in the 1980 election and was replaced with a proportional representation block in the 1983 election. The national proportional representation block was reduced to 96 members in the 2000 reforms, List of Speakers of the House of Councillors of Japan List of districts of the House of Councillors of Japan Specific Bibliography Hayes, L. D.2009. ISBN 978-0-7656-2279-2 House of Councillors Website House of Councillors internet TV - Official site
22.
Masaaki Yamazaki
–
Masaaki Yamazaki is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet. A native of Nishitani-mura in Ōno, Fukui, Yamazaki graduated the Nihon University School of Law and he served in the city assembly of Ōno for one term since 1975 and then in the assembly of Fukui Prefecture for four terms since 1979. He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 1992, Yamazaki also served as Parliamentary Secretary for Finance, Deputy Secretary-General of LDP, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Secretary-General for the LDP in the House of Councillors. Toshiaki Yamazaki is his eldest son, on April 21,2014 Yamazaki sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine, with a wooden sign showing President of the House of Councillors Masaaki Yamazaki next to the one with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. Like Abe, Yamazaki is in favor of the revision of the constitution, both Yamazaki and Abe are affiliated to the openly revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi, which supports visits and tributes to this controversial shrine, and a restoration of monarchy and militarism. k. a. Sinseiren, Shinto Political League Netherlands, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau 政治家情報 〜山崎 正昭〜
23.
Katsuya Okada
–
Katsuya Okada is a Japanese politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Japan from January to December 2012. A member of the House of Representatives of Japan, he was the President of the Democratic Party and he also served as Secretary-General of the DPJ three times. During the DPJs period in government he was Foreign Minister of Japan, in 2016, he remained as leader when the Democratic Party of Japan merged with the Japan Innovation Party to become the Democratic Party. Okada was born on 14 July 1953 and he is the second son of Takuya Okada, who is a co-founder of AEON Group. His elder brother, Motoya Okada, is the President and CEO of AEON Group and he has a younger brother and a half-sister. A native of Yokkaichi, Mie, Okada graduated from the University of Tokyo with a degree in law and he also studied at Weatherhead Center for International Affairs in Harvard University. Through a series of splits and mergers, Okada then became a member of the New Frontier Party, Sun Party, and Minseito, finally entering the DPJ upon its merger with Minseito in 1998. He became president of the DPJ on 18 May 2004, however, he resigned after his party suffered dramatic losses in the September 2005 general election. Okada ran for the presidency in 2009 but lost to Yukio Hatoyama, following the success of the DPJ in the 2009 general election, Hatoyama selected Okada to be the foreign minister. After being selected as the new minister, Kan reaffirmed Okada as foreign minister. As foreign minister, Okada was one of the participants in negotiations with the United States over the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa. The previous administration under the LDP had denied that such a pact existed, in a September 2010 cabinet reshuffle, Okada was moved from foreign minister to secretary general of the DPJ. Okada ran in the DPJ leadership election held in January 2015 after former president Banri Kaieda resigned after losing his seat, Okada won and returned as DPJ leader after a period of nine years. In 2016, he remained as leader when the Democratic Party of Japan merged with the Japan Innovation Party to become the Democratic Party. Following the partys defeat at the House of Councillors election in July, Okada is said to be an avid collector of frog knick knacks, which decorate his office
24.
Government of Japan
–
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy in which the power of the Emperor is limited and is relegated primarily to ceremonial duties. As in many states, the Government is divided into three branches, the Executive branch, the Legislative branch and the Judicial branch. The Government runs under the established by the Constitution of Japan adopted in 1947. It is a state, containing forty-seven administrative divisions, with the Emperor as its head of state. His role is ceremonial and he has no powers related to Government, instead, it is the Cabinet, composing of the Ministers of State and the Prime Minister, that directs and controls the Government. The Cabinet is the source of power of the Executive branch, and is formed by the Prime Minister and he or she is designated by the National Diet and appointed to office by the Emperor. The National Diet is the legislature, the organ of the Legislative branch and it is bicameral, consisting of two houses with the House of Councillors being the upper house, and the House of Representatives being the lower house. Its members are elected from the people, who are the source of sovereignty. The Supreme Court and other inferior courts make up the Judicial branch, and they are independent from the executive, prior to the Meiji Restoration, Japan was ruled by successive military shoguns. During this period, effective power of the government resided in the Shogun, the Shoguns were the hereditary military governors, with their modern rank equivalent to a generalissimo. Although the Emperor was the sovereign who appointed the Shogun, his roles were ceremonial and this is often compared to the present role of the Emperor, whose official role is to appoint the Prime Minister. The Meiji Restoration in 1868 led to the resignation of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu and 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 and it provided a form of mixed constitutional-absolute monarchy, with an independent judiciary, based on the Prussian model of the time. A new aristocracy known as the Kazoku was established and it merged the ancient court nobility of the Heian period, the Kuge, and the former Daimyo, feudal lords subordinate to the Shogun. It also established the Imperial Diet, consisting of the House of Representatives, members of the House of Peers were made up of the Imperial Family, 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 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 control over the military. Following the end of World War II, the Constitution of Japan was adopted as an intention to replace the previous Imperial rule with a form of Western-style liberal democracy, the Emperor of Japan is the head of the Imperial Family and the ceremonial head of state
25.
Deputy Prime Minister of Japan
–
The Deputy Prime Minister of Japan is a senior member of the Cabinet of Japan. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, Deputy prime minister possesses no special powers as such, though they will always have particular responsibilities in government. They do not automatically succeed the Prime Minister, should the latter be incapacitated or resign from the leadership of his or her political party. In practice, however, the designation of someone to the role of Deputy Prime Minister may provide additional practical status within cabinet, enabling the exercise of de facto, if not de jure, power. The current Deputy Prime Minister is Tarō Asō, who took the post on 26 December 2012, kenkyushas New Japanese-English Dictionary, Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991, ISBN 4-7674-2015-6
26.
Cabinet of Japan
–
The Cabinet of Japan is the executive branch of the government of Japan. It consists of the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Emperor after being designated by the National Diet, the Prime Minister is designated by the Diet, and the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister. The Cabinet is collectively responsible to the Diet and must resign if a motion of no confidence is adopted by the Diet, under the constitution, Cabinet ministers are appointed after the selection of the Prime Minister. A majority of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, must be members of the Diet, under the Cabinet Law, the number of Cabinet Ministers must be fourteen or less, but this may be increased to nineteen if a special need arises. In the event that the Cabinet collectively resigns it continues to exercise its functions until the appointment of a new Prime Minister, while they are in office, legal action may not be taken against Cabinet ministers without the consent of the Prime Minister. Upon the first convocation of the Diet after an election to the House of Representatives. When the position Prime Minister becomes vacant, or the Prime Minister declares his intention to resign, the Cabinet exercises two kinds of power. Some of its powers, while in practice exercised in accordance with the instructions of the Cabinet, are nominally exercised by the Emperor with the advice. Its other class of powers are exercised by the Cabinet explicitly, contrary to the practice in many constitutional monarchies, the Emperor of Japan is not even the nominal Chief Executive. Instead, the Constitution explicitly vests executive authority in the Cabinet, in practice, much of the Cabinets authority is exercised by the Prime Minister. Under the Constitution, the Prime Minister exercises control and supervision over the executive branch, while Cabinet Ministers in most other parliamentary regimes theoretically have some freedom of action, the Japanese Cabinet is effectively an extension of the Prime Ministers authority. Promulgation of amendments to the laws, cabinet orders and treaties, dissolution of the House of Representatives. Proclamation of general elections to the Diet, receiving of foreign ambassadors and ministers. Granting of general amnesty, special amnesty, commutation of punishment, reprieve, signing of laws or cabinet orders by the relevant Minister of State and countersigned by the Prime Minister. Appointment of the justices of the Supreme Court of Japan. Accessed 13 October 2012 from, http, //www. japantimes. com/cabinets. htm Cabinet Secretariat, Office of Cabinet Public Relations, Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. Retrieved 28 Oct.2003 from, http, //www. kantei. go. jp/foreign/index-e. html Hunter, concise Dictionary of Modern Japanese History. Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, pp. 266–324, Appendix 5, official Website of the Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet, Third Reshuffled Noda Cabinet List of Japanese cabinets Cabinet Office Cabinet Secretariat Cabinet Legislation Bureau
27.
Ministries of Japan
–
The ministries of Japan are the most influential part of the executive branch of the Japanese government. Each ministry is headed by a Minister of State appointed by the Prime Minister, in postwar politics, the posts of ministers have been given to senior legislators, mostly of the LDP. However, few ministers serve for more one or two years to develop the necessary grasp of the organisation to become really influential. Thus, most of the lies within the ministries, with the senior bureaucrats. The Cabinet Office is responsible for handling the affairs of the Cabinet
28.
Judicial system of Japan
–
They cannot be removed from the bench unless judicially declared mentally or physically incompetent to perform official duties, and they cannot be disciplined by executive agencies. Supreme Court judges, however, may be removed by a majority of voters in a referendum that occurs at the first general election following the judges appointment and every ten years thereafter. The judiciary was far more constrained under the Meiji Constitution than it is under the present Constitution and had no authority over administrative or constitutional law cases, moreover, the Ministry of Justice had complete and direct control over the courts administrative affairs. Nonetheless, Professor John Haley argues that the courts maintained complete independence in the adjudication of particular cases, judicial independence from the political branches was emphatically established as a fundamental principle of governance in Article 57 of the Meiji Constitution. Of all branches of government only the courts exercised authority in the name of the Emperor, japans court system is divided into four basic tiers. At the first of the four tiers of courts are the 438 summary courts, Summary court judges are not career judges. Qualification as a judge is not required. They mostly handle small civil cases, as well as minor criminal offenses. They are only able to imprison defendants in a few special cases, Summary Courts are presided over by one judge. Civil cases in the Summary Court are appealed to the District Court, at the second tier are the district courts, the principal courts of first instance. There are 50 district courts with additional 203 branches, except for minor cases, which account for 80 to 90 percent of all adjudicated cases, trials require a three-judge panel. These are the courts of jurisdiction and the principal court of first instance. District Courts have original jurisdiction in cases and in civil cases where the disputed amount is over ¥1,400,000. Attorneys sit on either side of the courtroom, facing the center, in a criminal case, the accused faces the judges from the rear of the courtroom. The witness box is in the center, also facing the judges and they serve defined circuits of several prefectures each, there are also branch offices in Akita, Kanazawa, Okayama, Matsue, Miyazaki, and Naha. There also exists the Intellectual Property High Court in Tokyo, which is a branch of Tokyo High Court. A High Court usually sits in the manner as a three-judge District Court. Each court is led by a President, who is appointed by the Cabinet, an appeal to a High Court is called kōso
29.
Supreme Court of Japan
–
The Supreme Court of Japan, located in Hayabusachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law. It has the power of review, that is, it can declare Acts of the National Diet, local assemblies. The first Western-style supreme court in Japan was the Supreme Court of Judicature organized by the Ministry of Justice in 1875 and this court was composed of 120 judges in both civil and criminal divisions. Five judges would be empaneled for any given case, the criminal division of the court was the court of first instance for crimes against the Emperor and for high crimes against public order. The statute creating the Court was abolished in 1947, and the modern Supreme Court was formed that year under the constitution of 1947, the new court was first convened in May 1947 in the former Privy Council quarters of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. It moved to the Tokyo District Court building in September, then assumed the former quarters of the Supreme Court of Judicature in October 1949, in 1974, the Supreme Court moved to its current five-story building at 4-2 Hayabusa-cho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The building was designed by architect Shinichi Okada and won the Architecture Institute of Japan Prize for Design, the Article 81 of the constitution designates it as the court of last resort with power to determine the constitutionality of any law, order, regulation, or official act. It renders decisions from either a bench of fifteen justices or a petit bench of five. The grand bench is required for cases involving constitutionality, the court includes 34 research clerks, whose function is similar to that of the clerks of the United States Supreme Court. The Chief Justice is nominated by the Cabinet and appointed to office by the Emperor, the associate justices are appointed by the Cabinet in attestation of the Emperor. After appointment, Supreme Court justices are subject to a peoples review, a peoples review occurs at the first election to the House of Representatives after a justice assumes office, when the question of whether his tenure should continue is put to voters on the ballot. The Supreme Court justice is subject to a further peoples review at the first lower house election after every ten years. The system used resembles the Missouri Plan followed in some U. S. states and it is established by Article 79 of the constitution which includes the following provisions, As of October 2009, no Supreme Court justice has ever been dismissed by a peoples review. It is also unusual for a justice to be subject to a review, as most are over the age of sixty when appointed. The Supreme Court is the only Japanese court explicitly empowered to review the constitutionality of laws, one important exception to this trend was a series of rulings on the unconstitutionality of the electoral district apportionment system. Nonetheless the Diet has repeatedly failed to keep malapportionment within the limits set forth in Kurokawa, aside from electoral matters, provisions declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court have included rules Punishing patricide more harshly than other homicides. Restricting pharmacies from doing business close to one another, limiting the liability of the postal service for the loss of registered mail
30.
Administrative divisions of Japan
–
The bureaucratic administration of Japan is divided into three basic levels, national, prefectural and municipal. Below the national government there are 47 prefectures, six of which are subdivided into sub-prefectures to better service large geographical areas or remote islands. The municipalities are the lowest level of government, the twenty most-populated cities outside of Tokyo are known as designated cities and are sub-divided into wards. The top tier of divisions are the 47 prefectural entities,43 prefectures proper,2 urban prefectures,1 circuit. Although different in name they are functionally the same, Prefecture are the most common types of prefectural divisions total of 43 ken. The Classical Chinese character from which this is derived means county, Tokyo is referred to as a metropolis after the dissolution of Tokyo City in 1943, Tōkyō-fu was upgraded into Tōkyō-to and the former Tokyo Citys wards was upgraded into special wards. The Classical Chinese character from which this is derived means capital, osaka Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture are referred to as a urban prefecture. The Classical Chinese character from which this is derived implies a core zone of national importance in middle period of China. Hokkaido is referred to as a circuit, this term was used to refer to Japanese regions consisting of several provinces. This was also a historical usage of the character in China meaning circuit, there are only two types of Sub-prefectural divisions, Subprefecture and District. Subprefectures are a Japanese form of self-government which focuses on local issues below the prefectural level and it acts as part of the greater administration of the state and as part of a self-government system. Districts were administrative units in use between 1878 and 1921 that were equivalent to the counties of China or the United States. In the 1920s, municipal functions were transferred from district offices to the offices of the towns, District names remain in the postal address of towns and villages, and districts are sometimes used as boundaries for electoral districts, but otherwise serve no official function. The Classical Chinese character from which this is derived means commandery, the municipal divisions are divided into three main categories city, town, and village. However the city entities are further categorized, the Special wards of Tokyo are also considered as municipal divisions. Cities in Japan are categorized into different four types from the highest designated city, core city, special city, designated cities are also subdivided into wards. Core city was created by the first clause of Article 252, a special city of Japan is a city with a population of at least 200,000. This category was established by the Local Autonomy Law, article 252 clause 26, cities are ranked on the same level as towns and villages, the only difference is that they are not a component of districts
31.
Prefectures of Japan
–
The Prefectures of Japan consist of 47 prefectures. They form the first level of jurisdiction and administrative division of Japan and they consist of 43 prefectures proper, two urban prefectures, one circuit or territory and one metropolis. The Meiji Fuhanken sanchisei administration created the first prefectures to replace the provinces of Japan in 1868, each prefectures chief executive is a directly-elected governor. Ordinances and budgets are enacted by an assembly whose members are elected for four-year terms. Under the current Local Autonomy Law, each prefecture is subdivided into cities and districts and each district into towns, for example, Hokkaido has 14 subprefectures that act as branch offices of the prefecture. Some other prefectures also have offices that carry out prefectural administrative functions outside the capital. Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a merged city-prefecture, the Wests use of prefecture to label these Japanese regions stems from 16th-century Portuguese explorers and traders use of prefeitura to describe the fiefdoms they encountered there. Its original sense in Portuguese, however, was closer to municipality than province and those fiefs were headed by a local warlord or family. Though the fiefs have long since been dismantled, merged, and reorganized multiple times, and been granted legislative governance and oversight, the Meiji government established the current system in July 1871 with the abolition of the Han system and establishment of the prefecture system. Although there were initially over 300 prefectures, many of them being former Han territories, this number was reduced to 72 in the part of 1871. The Local Autonomy Law of 1947 gave more power to prefectures. In 2003, then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi proposed that the government consolidate the current prefectures into about 10 regional states, the plan called for each region to have greater autonomy than existing prefectures. This process would reduce the number of administrative regions and cut administrative costs. As of August 2012, no reorganization has been scheduled, the central government delegates many functions to the prefectures and municipalities, but retains the overall right to control them. Although local government expenditure accounts for 70 percent of government expenditure, the central government controls local budgets, tax rates. Historically, during the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate established bugyō-ruled zones around the nine largest cities in Japan, and 302 township-ruled zones elsewhere. When the Meiji government began to create the system in 1868, the nine bugyō-ruled zones became fu, while the township-ruled zones. Later, in 1871, the government designated Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto as fu, during World War II, in 1943, Tokyo became a to, a new type of pseudo-prefecture
32.
Governor (Japan)
–
In Japan, the governor is the highest ranking executive of a prefecture. The governor is elected for a four-year term. Governors are subject to recall referenda, in each prefecture, between one and four vice governors are appointed by the governor with the approval of the prefectural assembly. In the case of death, disability, or resignation of the governor, one of the vice governors becomes either governor or acting governor
33.
List of governors of Japan
–
This is a list of current governors of the prefectures of Japan
34.
Districts of Japan
–
As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from districts. In Japan, towns and villages belong to districts and the districts possess little to no administrative authority, the districts are used primarily in the Japanese addressing system and to identify the relevant geographical areas and collections of nearby towns and villages. The district was initially called kōri and has ancient roots in Japan, although the Nihon Shoki says they were established during the Taika Reforms, kōri was originally written 評. It was not until the Taihō Code that kōri came to be written 郡, under the Taihō Code, the administrative unit of province was above district, and the village was below. Each jurisdiction refers to its position along the river from which the former province. Kamikawa means upper course of the river, Nakagawa means middle course, jacobs at Urban Studies Research, Vol.2011, doi,10. 1155/2011/692764 Graphic shows relationships among Japanese cities at p.7 of Large City System of Japan Text of the Local Government Law
35.
Municipalities of Japan
–
Japan has three levels of government, national, prefectural, and municipal. The nation is divided into 47 prefectures, each prefecture consists of numerous municipalities, with 1,719 in total. There are four types of municipalities in Japan, cities, towns, villages, in Japanese, this system is known as shikuchōson, where each kanji in the word represents one of the four types of municipalities. The status of a municipality, if it is a village, the least-populated city, Utashinai, Hokkaidō, has a population of merely four thousand, while a town in the same prefecture, Otofuke, Hokkaidō, has nearly forty thousand residents. Some designated cities also have further administrative subdivisions, also known as wards, but, unlike the Special wards of Tokyo, these wards are not municipalities. Tokyo Prefecture now encompasses 23 special wards, each a city itself, as well as many other cities, towns and even villages on the Japanese mainland. Each of the 23 special wards of Tokyo is legally equivalent to a city, for information on the former city of Tokyo, see Tokyo City, for information about present-day Tokyo Prefecture, see Tokyo. See List of cities in Japan for a complete list of cities, see also, Core city The same kanji which designates a town is also sometimes used for addresses of sections of an urban area. In rare cases, a village might even contain a section with the same type of designation. Although the kanji is the same, neither of these sections are municipalities unto themselves. Subprefectures are branch offices of the prefectures and not municipalities by themselves, districts are not current municipalities but names of groups of towns and villages. Provinces are not current municipalities but names of geographical regions similar to prefectures
36.
Wards of Japan
–
A ward is a subdivision of the cities of Japan that are large enough to have been designated by government ordinance. Wards are used to each city designated by government ordinance. The 23 special wards of Tokyo have a status, and are not the same as other entities referred to as ku. Wards are local entities directly controlled by the municipal government and they handle administrative functions such as koseki registration, health insurance, and property taxation. Many wards have affiliated residents organizations for a number of tasks, for more information, see Special wards of Tokyo. The special wards of Tokyo are not normal wards in the sense of the term
37.
Elections in Japan
–
The minimum voting age in Japans non-compulsory electoral system was reduced from twenty to eighteen years in June 2016. Voters must satisfy a residency requirement before being allowed to cast a ballot. Each deposit for candidacy is 3 million yen for single-seat constituency and 6 million yen for proportional representation, the National Diet has two chambers. The House of Representatives has 475 members, elected for a term,295 members in single-seat constituencies and 180 members by proportional representation in 11 block districts. In this system, each voter votes twice, once for a candidate in the local constituency, the local constituencies are decided by plurality, and the block seats are then handed out to party lists proportionally to their share of the vote. Often the parties assign the block list spots to single-seat candidates, parties may also place dual district and block candidates on the same list rank, in that case, the Sekihairitsu system determines the order of candidates. General elections of members of the House of Representatives are usually held before the end of a term as the chamber may be dissolved by the cabinet. Most prime ministers use that option, the only exception in post-war history was the Lockheed election of 1976 in which the Liberal Democratic Party lost its seat majority for the first time. The proportional election to the House of Councillors allows the voters to cast a vote for a single candidate on a party list. The preference votes exclusively determine the ranking of candidates on party lists, half of the House of Councillors comes up for election every three years in regular/ordinary elections of members of the House of Councillors. The electoral cycles of the two chambers of the Diet are usually not synchronized, even when the current constitution took effect in 1947, the first House of Councillors election was held several days apart from the 23rd House of Representatives election. Vacant district seats in both Houses are generally filled in by-elections, nowadays, these are usually scheduled in April and October as necessary. Disqualifications may, for example, happen if a candidate for the House of Councillors runs for the House of Representatives or vice versa, for many years, Japan was a one party dominant state until 1993 with the Liberal Democratic Party as the ruling party. It won a majority of the vote in House of Representatives general elections until the 1960s. It lost the majority of seats in 1976 and 1979, after the 1983 election when it again lost the majority, it entered a coalition for the first time – with the New Liberal Club. In 1986, the coalition ended as the LDP won a majority of seats. The 2009 House of Representatives elections handed the first non-LDP victory to the Democratic Party of Japan, due to the majoritarian parallel voting system, it is unlikely that Japan will develop a multi-party system, but there is speculation that after 2009, Japan will develop a two-party system. According to a survey by Yomiuri Shimbun in April 2010, almost half of Japanese voters do not support any political parties due to political inefficiency
.jpg)
Japan portal
