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The Democratic Party of Japan (民主党, Minshutō) is a Centre-left political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. After the 2009 election the DPJ became the ruling party in the House of Representatives, defeating the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and gaining the largest number of seats in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.

After winning a landslide victory in 2009, it was ousted from government by the LDP in the 2012 general election. It retained 57 seats in the lower house, and still had 88 seats in the upper house. During its time in office, the DPJ implemented a number of progressive measures such as the provision of free public schooling through high school and increases in child-rearing subsidies.

It is not to be confused with the now-defunct Japan Democratic Party that merged with the Liberal Party in 1955 to form the Liberal Democratic Party. It is also different from the Democratic Party, which was established in 1947 and dissolved in 1950.

History

Philosophy

The Democratic Party call their philosophy Democratic Centrism (ja:民主中道, minshu-chūdō), which was determined in the first party convention on April 27, 1998.

View of the status quo

The Democratic Party claim themselves to be revolutionary in that they are against the status quo and the current governing establishment. The Democratic Party argue that the bureaucracy of the Japanese government size is too large, inefficient, and saturated with cronies and that the Japanese state is too conservative and stiff. The Democratic Party wants to "overthrow the ancient régime locked in old thinking and vested interests, solve the problems at hand, and create a new, flexible, affluent society which values people's individuality and vitality."

Political standpoint

We stand for those who have been excluded by the structure of vested interests, those who work hard and pay taxes, and for people who strive for independence despite difficult circumstances. In other words, we represent citizens, taxpayers, and consumers. We do not seek a panacea either in the free market or in the welfare state. Rather, we shall build a new road of the democratic center toward a society in which self-reliant individuals can mutually coexist and the government's role is limited to building the necessary systems.

Goals

Democratic Centrism pursues the following five goals.

• Transparent, just and fair society

The Democratic Party seek to build a society governed with rules which are transparent, just and fair.

• Free market and inclusive society

While the party argue that the free market system should "permeate" economic life, they also aim for an inclusive society which guarantees security, safety, and fair and equal opportunity for each individual.

• Decentralized and participatory society

The party intend to devolve the centralized government powers to citizens, markets, and local governments so that people of all backgrounds can participate in decision-making.

• Compliance with the three constitutional principles

The Democratic Party proclaim to hold the values in the meaning of the constitution to "embody the fundamental principles of the Constitution": popular sovereignty, respect for fundamental human rights, and pacifism.

• International relations based on self-reliance and mutual coexistence

As a member of the global community, the party seek to establish Japan's international relations in the fraternal spirit of self-reliance and mutual coexistence to restore the world's trust in the country.

Policy platforms

The DPJ's policy platforms include the restructuring of civil service, monthly allowance to a family with children (¥26,000 per child), cut in gas tax, income support for farmers, free tuition for public high schools, banning of temporary work in manufacturing, raising the minimum-wage to ¥1,000 and halting of increase in sales tax for the next four years.

Structure

• Supreme Advisers - Tsutomu Hata, Kozo Watanabe, Naoto Kan, Katsuya Okada, Satsuki Eda, Hirohisa Fujii
• President - Banri Kaieda
• Vice Presidents:
  • Masayuki Naoshima
  • Toshimi Kitazawa
  • Tomiko Okazaki
  • Keishu Tanaka
• Secretary General - Azuma Koshiishi
• Acting Secretary General - Sinji Tarutoko
• Deputy Secretary General - Jun Azumi
• Chair, Policy Research Committee - Seiji Maehara
• Chair, Diet Affairs Committee - Hirofumi Hirano
• Chair, DPJ Caucus, House of Councillors - Azuma Koshiishi
• Secretary General, DPJ Caucus, House of Councillors - Kenji Hirata
• Chair, Diet Affairs Committee, DPJ Caucus,House of Councillors - Yuichiro Hata
• Chair, Administration Committee - Naoki Tanaka
• Chair, Election Campaign Committee - Yoshiaki Takaki
• Chair, Financial Committee - Koichi Takemasa
• Chair, Organisation Committee - Shinichiro Hurumoto
• Chair, Public Relations Committee - Tadashi Hirono
• Chair, Corporate & External Organisations Committee - Shuji Ikemoto
• Chair, National Rallying and Canvassing Committee - Yosuke Kondo
• Chair, Standing Officers Council - Kansei Nakano

Factions

The DPJ has some political factions or groups, although they are not as factionalized as the LDP, which has traditionally placed high priority on intra-party factional alignment. The groups are, from the most influential to the least influential:

• Ryōun-kai: the second most conservative faction. Most of its members are from The Sakigake Party. Ryoun-kai has about 40 seats in the assembly and is led by Seiji Maehara and Yoshihiko Noda.

• Seiken kōyaku wo Jitsugen suru kai: formed by defectors from LDP and led by former party leader Yukio Hatoyama, has about conservative 30 lawmakers in the Diet. Former name is 'Seiken kotai wo Jitsugen suru kai'.

• Minsha Kyōkai: members of the former centrist Democratic Socialist Party which merged with the DPJ early on. About 25 members, led by Tatsuo Kawabata.

• Kuni no katachi kenkyūkai: led by Party President Naoto Kan. Is a liberal leaning faction. About 20 members.

• Shin seikyoku kondankai: the most left-leaning faction, created by members of the former Japan Socialist Party who felt the Social Democratic Party was too radical. About 20 seats, led by Takahiro Yokomichi.

The Independent’s Club is a minor political party which forms a political entity with the DPJ in both chambers of the house.

Presidents of DPJ

The Presidents of Democratic Party of Japan (ja:民主党代表, Minshutō Daihyō), the formal name is 民主党常任幹事会代表 (Minshutō Jyōnin-Kanji-Kai Daihyō).

No.	Name	Term of office		Image	Election results
		Took Office	Left Office
1	Naoto Kan 菅 直人 Kan Naoto	27 April 1998	18 January 1999		unchallenged
		18 January 1999	25 September 1999		Naoto Kan - 180 Shigefumi Matsuzawa - 51 Abstention - 8
2	Yukio Hatoyama 鳩山 由紀夫 Hatoyama Yukio	25 September 1999	9 September 2000		Yukio Hatoyama - 182 Naoto Kan - 130
		9 September 2000	23 September 2002		walkover
		23 September 2002	10 December 2002		Yukio Hatoyama - 254 Naoto Kan - 242
3	Naoto Kan 菅 直人 Kan Naoto	10 December 2002	18 May 2004		Naoto Kan - 104 Katsuya Okada - 79
4	Katsuya Okada 岡田 克也 Okada Katsuya	18 May 2004	13 September 2004		unchallenged
		13 September 2004	17 September 2005		walkover
5	Seiji Maehara 前原 誠司 Maehara Seiji	17 September 2005	7 April 2006		Seiji Maehara - 96 Naoto Kan - 94 Abstention - 3
6	Ichirō Ozawa 小沢 一郎 Ozawa Ichirō	7 April 2006	12 September 2006		Ichirō Ozawa - 119 Naoto Kan - 73
		12 September 2006	21 September 2008		walkover
		21 September 2008	16 May 2009		walkover
7	Yukio Hatoyama 鳩山 由紀夫 Hatoyama Yukio	16 May 2009	4 June 2010		see election 2009 Yukio Hatoyama - 124 Katsuya Okada - 95
8	Naoto Kan 菅 直人 Kan Naoto	4 June 2010	14 September 2010		see election Jun 2010 Naoto Kan - 291 Shinji Tarutoko - 129
		14 September 2010	29 August 2011		see election Sep 2010 Naoto Kan - 721 Ichirō Ozawa - 491
9	Yoshihiko Noda 野田 佳彦 Noda Yoshihiko	29 August 2011	21 September 2012		see election 2011 Yoshihiko Noda - 215 Banri Kaieda - 177
		21 September 2012	25 December 2012		Yoshihiko Noda - 818 Hirotaka Akamatsu - 154 Kazuhiro Haraguchi - 123 Michihiko Kano - 113
10	Banri Kaieda 海江田 万里 Kaieda Banri	25 December 2012	Incumbent		Banri Kaieda - 90 Sumio Mabuchi-54

Election results

All-time highest values are bolded

General election results

Councillors election results

See also

• Politics of Japan
  • List of political parties in Japan
  • Timeline of liberal parties in Japan
    • Democratic Socialist Party (Japan)
    • Social Democratic Party (Japan)
    • Good Governance Party
    • Democratic Party of Japan (1996-1998)
    • Democratic Reform Party
    • New Fraternity Party
• Marutei Tsurunen: Japan's first deputy of European origin

References

1. Kabashima, I. & Steel, G. (2010). Changing Politics in Japan. Cornell University Press, pp. 138–9.
2. US reaches out as Japan shifts left, AFP,
3. Political Parties, International Organizations and Individuals joining the Alliance of Democrats, Alliance of Democrats
4. ^ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Prefectural and local assembly members and governors/mayors by political party as of December 31, 2011
5. Japan in Transformation, 1945-2010 (2nd edition) by Jeff Kingston
6. Out Basic Philosophy - Building a free and secure society on The Democratic Party of Japan's website accessed on May 12, 2010.Template:Ja
7. ^ Out Basic Philosophy - Building a free and secure society on The Democratic Party of Japan's website accessed on 17 May 2008.
8. Ryall, Julian (2009-08-27). "Japan election: unemployed turn on the government". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
9. Hiroko Tabuchi (2009-08-03). "Opposition Woos Japan's Voters With Costly Vows". New York Times.
10. Fujioka, Chisa (2009-08-21). "Japan opposition may score landslide win: media". Reuters.
11. ^ 民主代表選　鳩山氏が優位、岡田氏は参院に照準, Asahi Shimbun, 16 May 2009

Further reading

• Japan after Kan: Implications for the DPJ’s Political Future, Q&A with Richard J. Samuels (MIT) August 2011
• Daniel Sneider, The New Asianism: Japanese Foreign Policy under the Democratic Party of Japan (Asia Policy, July 2011)
• Leif-Eric Easley, Tetsuo Kotani and Aki Mori, Electing a New Japanese Security Policy? Examining Foreign Policy Visions within the Democratic Party of Japan (Asia Policy, August 2009)
• Linus Hagström (2010) The Democratic Party of Japan’s Security Policy and Japanese Politics of Constitutional Revision: A Cloud over Article 9? Australian Journal of International Affairs 64 (5): 512–28.

External links

• Democratic Party of Japan Template:En icon
• Democratic Party of Japan Template:Jp icon
• Democratic Party of Japan on Facebook
• Democratic Party of Japan on Twitter
• Democratic Party of Japan's channel on YouTube

v t e Political parties in Japan
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Officially recognized political parties	Government Liberal Democratic (191) Komeito (24) Opposition Constitutional Democratic (148) Japan Innovation (38) Democratic For the People (28) Reiwa Shinsengumi (9) Communist (8) Sanseitō (3) Conservative (3) Social Democratic (1)
Political organizations with seats in the National Diet	Yūshi (4) NHK (0) Okinawa Social Mass (0)
Portal:Politics List of political parties Politics of Japan

• 1998 establishments in Japan
• Liberal parties
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• Political parties in Japan
• Political parties established in 1998