Japanese Government

Brief Overview of The Government of Japan

The First Parliamentary Government in Asia
The Japanese government is a constitutional monarchy under the oldest constitution in Asia with the only/last Emperor in the world. After the 2nd world war, the power of the Emperor of Japan is limited, and is responsible primarily to ceremonial duties.
It is also the first Parliamentary Government in Asia. The Government is composed primarily of three branches: the Executive branch (the Prime minister and his cabinet), the Legislative branch (the National Diet of Japan) and the Judicial branch (the Supreme Court and other courts), as defined by the Constitution of Japan.

briwf Explanation of Japanese Government

The Emperor of Japan

The Oldest Royal Family in The World
The Emperor of Japan is the only/last emperor in the world, and head of the Imperial Family and the de facto symbolic head of nation. The emperor of Japan is the world's oldest royal family.
The Emperor is not even the nominal Chief Executive and he has no real powers related to the Government. This is clearly stated in article 4 of the Constitution.
The Emperor's role is defined by the Constitution to be as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people".

Tokyo Imperial Palace

Must See Videos

Video Contents
1. Courtesy Visit to the Emperor (2:17)
2. Motorcade from the Akasaka Palace (2:04)
3. Motorcade from the Imperial Palace (0:50)
4. Motorcade of President Obama in Imperial Palace (3:11)
5. The Emperor in the National Diet of Japan (13:41)

The National flag of Japan

Symbol for The Land of "Rising Sun"
The national flag of Japan is a white rectangular flag with a large red disc (representing the sun) in the center. This flag is officially called Nisshōki ("sun-mark flag") in Japanese, but is more commonly known as Hinomaru ("circle of the sun"). The exact origin of the Hinomaru is unknown, but the rising sun seems to have had some symbolic meaning since the early 7th century. (It should be noted here that Japan is east of the Asian continent, and that the sun rises in the east.) In 607, an official correspondence that began with "from the emperor of the rising sun" was sent to Chinese Emperor Yang of Sui. Japan is often referred to as "the land of the rising sun".

The National Anthem of Japan

The World's Oldest Lyrics in a National Anthem
The National Anthem of Japan is "Kimigayo”, and it is the world's oldest lyrics in a national anthem. With a length of 11 measures and 32 characters, "Kimigayo" is also one of the world's shortest national anthems currently in use. Its lyrics are based on a waka poem written in the Heian period (794–1185), sung to a melody written in the imperial period (1868–1945). While the title "Kimigayo" is usually translated as His Majesty's Reign, no official translation of the title nor lyrics has ever been established by law.

Legislative branch of Japanese Government

The National Diet of Japan
National Diet is a bicameral legislature, and is composed of a lower house, “the House of Representatives”, and an upper house, “the House of Councillors". It is empowered by the Constitution to be "the highest organ of State power" and the only "sole law-making organ of the State". Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system and is ensured by the Constitution to have no discrimination on the qualifications of each members.

Chamber of The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives of Japan is the Lower house, with each member of the house being elected for a four-year term. As of September 7, 2014, it has 480 members.

Chamber of the House of Councillors
The House of Councillors of Japan is the Upper house, with each member of the house being elected for a six-year term. As of September 7, 2014, it has 242 members.

Judicial branch of Japanese Government

The Supreme Court of Japan
The Supreme Court of Japan is the court of last resort and has the power of Judicial review; the power to determine the constitutionality of any law, order, regulation or official acts. The Supreme Court is also responsible for nominating judges to lower courts and determining judicial procedures. It also oversees the judicial system, overseeing activities of public prosecutors, and disciplining judges and other judicial personnel.

The High Court of Japan
The High Courts of Japan has the jurisdiction to hear appeals to judgments rendered by District Courts and Family Courts, excluding cases under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Criminal appeals are directly handled by the High Courts, but Civil cases are first handled by District Courts. There are eight High Courts in Japan: the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Sendai, Sapporo, and Takamatsu High Courts.