Modern Japanese Government

LEGISLATIVE
The legislative branch is Japan's parliament. Called the Diet, has complete political power. The Diet is a bicameral legislature. The upper house is called the House of Concillors while the lower house is called the House of Representatives. Both are made up of elected representatives. It is made up of representatives of the people. The responsibilities of the Diet include making laws, approving the budget, and ratifying treaties. If the Diet feels a constitutional amendment is needed, they may write it and then have it presented to the people in a referendum. It may also investigate the government. The prime minister is designated by the Diet. Below is a chart outlining some basic information about the two houses of the Japanese Parliament.

Category	House of Representatives	House of Councillors
term of office	four years	six years
powers	pass bills over-ride bills that fail in the House of Councillors with two-thirds majority (except adoption of budget, selection of Prime Minister, and approval of treaties) give a vote of no confidence	pass bills give vote of no confidence in government investigate and try cases against government officials
process of election	Every four years, the whole house is elected	Every three years, half the house is elected.
Current number of members	512	252
Determination of members	130 different areas with multiple representatives.	prefectural population and national proportional representation
Requirements	twenty-five years old	thirty years of old

EXECUTIVE

The Executive Branch of the Japanese government is the cabinet. The head of the cabinet if the prime minister. There are three major areas with other ministries and agencies that comprise the Executive Branch. Some of the Ministries include agriculture, education, finance, labor and transportation. Some of the Agencies include the Defense Agency, Environmental Agency, National Public Safety Commission, and Fair Trade Commission. The Board of Audit is responsible for reviewing government expenses and gives an annual report to the Prime Minister. Below is a table of major cabinet titles and their responsibilities. At right is the current Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

JUDICIAL
Within the Japanese legal system, there is a Supreme Court, High Courts, District Courts, Family Courts and Summary Courts. The highest court of Japan is the Supreme Court. It is the final court of appeal for both civil and criminal cases. Decisions are made by either fifteen justices (a grand bench) or five justices (petite bench). Any case determining constitutionality must have a grand bench decision. The Supreme Court Justices can be removed by a majority of voters in a referendum that occurs at the first general election following the justice's appointment and every ten years thereafter. The Supreme Court has many responsibilities in Japan. The most difficult is to determine the constitutionality of any law, order, regulation, or official act. They are also responsible for nominating lower court judges, determining judicial procedures, overseeing the judicial system, disciplining judges and other judicial personnel. The judicial system includes eight high courts, fifty district courts and fifty family courts. Summary courts exist in cities and perform functions similar to US small courts and justices of the peace.

THE EMPEROR
Emperor Akihto

Until the end of World War II, the Japanese emperor was considered to be divine. On January 1, 1946 Emperor Hirohito made a speech at General Mac Arthur's request. In the speech, he renounced his status as a divine ruler. He also stated that the relationship between the emperor and the people of Japan cannot be based on "the false conception that the emperor is divine or that the Japanese people are superior to other races." The emperor was then seen as a symbol of the state who received power from the people. The Emperor's duties became very specific and ceremonial as opposed to very broad. While the emperor no longer has an official religious role, he performs ancient rituals like the ceremonial planting of the rice crop in the spring. After World War II the imperial family's estates were confiscated and all finances dealing with the emperor were put under the control of the Imperial Household Agency. This agency is part of the Office of the Prime Minister and is controlled by the Diet. The succession of the emperor is to pass to male children. The present emperor, Hirohito's son Akihito as seen above. The current Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife have only a girl child. This may cause a problem in the line of succession. The Japanese government announced in 2005 that they would consider allowing the royal couple to adopt a male child. Many of the ceremonies the emperor takes part in are of a religious nature and cannot be supported by the state.

Office	Job Responsibilities
Prime Minister	appointing and dismissing other cabinet members represents the government at international functions
Chief Cabinet Secretary	coordinates the activities of the ministries and agencies, conducts policy research, prepares materials to be discussed at cabinet meeting
Director of the Cabinet Legislative Bureau	advises cabinet members on drafting the legislation to be proposed to the Diet.
The Security Council	advises the prime minister on salaries and other matters pertaining to national government civil servants.