List of political parties in Japan

Political parties in Japan lists political parties in Japan.

Major parties

• Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Jiyū Minshū-tō, or Jimin-tō 自民党(conservative, 1955-)
  • The LDP is Japan's largest political party and the senior partner in the current governing coalition. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a member of this political party. It is a conservative party of the right-wing and is made up of various conservative and reformist factions. The LDP has been in power almost continuously since 1955, when it was formed as a merger of early postwar Japan's two conservative parties, the Liberal Party of Japan, Occupation, and the Democrat Party of Japan, Occupation. The party is characterized as being very conservative on social and foreign matters.
• Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Minshūtō (social liberal 1998-)民主党
  • The DPJ is Japan's second largest party and leads the opposition. It is a social liberal party. It is the largest opposition party, and was formed in the late 1990s as a result of the merger of several anti-LDP parties. Quite liberal and oppositional on key issues, as well as moderately social-democratic. It is against the Iraq war, and was led by Seiji Maehara until the end of March 2006, when he resigned due to a crisis involving a DPJ member (Hisayasu Nagata) making false allegations that the son of LDP Secretary-General (Tsutomu Takebe) illicitly received money from former Livedoor president Takafumi Horie. As of April 52006, Naoto Kan and Ichiro Ozawa are running for DPJ party president.
• New Komeito* Komeitō (conservative, theocratic Buddhist, 1998-)公明党
  • formerly Komeito (Former) (centrist, theocratic Buddhist, 1964-1998)
  • formerly Komei Political Assembly (centrist, theocratic Buddhist, 1961-1964)
  • The Shin Komeito Party (Japanese name for the New Komeito) is Japan's third largest party and the governing party's junior partner. It was formerly known as the Clean Government Political Assembly and the Komeito. The party is a conservative party of the right-wing, but it is also well supported by organizations like the Soka Gakkai, a sect of Nichiren Buddhism. Therefore, it is also considered a theocratic Buddhist party. It has moderated its stance however. Because it is partners with the LDP, it is unopposed to the war in Iraq. It is now led by Takenori Kanzaki.
• Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Nihon Kyōsan-tō (communist, 1922-)日本共産党
  • The Japanese Communist Party is Japan's fourth largest party and the middle partner of the opposition coalition. It is a moderate communist party of the left-wing. Though it is communist, it is not against religion and does not want the emperor to step down. It supports multi-party democracy and does not advocate the imposition of radical change on Japanese society. It is considered pacifist and skeptical of the United States.
• Social Democratic Party (Japan) (SDP) Shakai Minshūtō, or Shamin-tō (socialist, 1996-)　社民党
  • formerly Japan Socialist Party (JSP) Nihon Shakai-tō (socialist, 1945-1996)日本社会党
    • a breakaway group formerly known as the Democratic Socialist Party (Japan), now defunct, (social-democratic, 1960-1996)
      • in 1948 split up into the Rightist Socialist Party of Japan, (moderate social-democratic, 1948-1955), and Leftist Socialist Party of Japan, (extreme socialist, 1948-1955), in 1955, reunified into JSP.
  • The Social Democrat Party of Japan is Japan's fifth largest party and the junior partner in the opposition coalition. It is a moderate social-democratic party of the left-wing. It is seen more as a moderate social-democratic, and populist party rather than a revolutionary socialist party. It grew out of the Japan Socialist Party and the Democratic Socialist Party (Japan) It is opposed to the war in Iraq.

Minor parties

• Liberal League Jiyu Rengo (liberal, 1994-)
  • The Liberal League is a right-wing party in Japan, which, despite its name, is actually conservative. The Liberal League has 1 seat in the Diet.
• Other minor parties
  • Japan has other minor parties with national support, mostly with communist and socialist ideologies, as well as a few nationalist, reformist, and far right-wing parties.
• Dissidents from the LDP formed the following parties in 2005 :
  • • People's New Party (PNP) Kokumin Shintō (conservative, 2005-)
    • New Party Nippon (NPN) Shintō Nippon (2005-)
    • New Party Daichi (NPD) Shintō Daichi (2005-)

Existing national parties represented in the Diet in the past

Current political parties that used to be in the Diet but aren't currently represented:

• Dainiin Club Dainiin Kurabu (centrist, 1983-)
• New Socialist Party Shin Shakai To (socialist, 1996-)
• Sports and Peace Party Supotsu Heiwa To (centrist, 1989-)
• Takeru (centrist, 2001-)

Other parties

• Rainbow and Greens Niji to Midori (green)
• Ishin Seito Shimpu (far-right, 1995-)
• Women's Party Josei To (Feminist, 1993-)
• Internet Breakthrough Party of Japan (Led by Iron Chef Comentator and Judge and former LDP member Shinichiro Kurimoto)

Regional parties

Some of the main regional parties represented in regional assemblies:

• Kanagawa Network Movement Kanagawa Nettowaku Undo (Yokohama, socialist)
• Seikatsusha Network Seikatsusha Nettowaku (Tokyo, socialist)
• Okinawa Social Mass Party Okinawa Shakai Taishu To (Okinawa, socialist)
• Green Niigata, Midori Niigata (Niigata, communist)
  • formerly Niigata New Party for People, Shimin Shin-to Niigata (Niigata, communist)

Defunct parties

• Association of Independents Mushozoku no Kai (centrist, 1999-2004)
  • formerly House of Representatives Club Sangiin Kurabu (centrist, 1998-1999)
• New Conservative Party, (conservative, 2002-2003)
  • formerly Conservative Party of Japan (2000), (conservative, 2000-2002)
• Liberal Party (1998), (liberal, 1998-2003)
• Democratic Party of Japan (1996), (liberal, 1996-1998)
• Good Governance Party, (liberal, 1998)
• New Fraternity Party, (liberal reformist, 1998)
• Sun Party, (liberal reformist, 1996-1998)
• Democratic Reform Party (liberal reformist, 1993-1998)
• Midori no Kaigi Environmental Green Political Assembly (ecologist conservative reformist, 2002-2004)
  • formerlyThe Sakigake Party, (conservative reformist-ecologist, 1998-2002)
  • formerly New Party Sakigake, (conservative reformist-ecologist, 1993-1998)
• New Peace Party, (conservative, 1997-1998)
• Japan New Party, (liberal, 1993-1996)
• Japan Renewal Party, (liberal, 1993-1994)
• New Frontier Party, (socialist/liberal, 1994-1997)
• Democratic Socialist Party (Japan), (social-democratic, 1960-1994 - broke off from JSP)
• Democratic Party of Japan, Occupation, (agrarian conservative, 1945-1955)
• Liberal Party of Japan, Occupation, (conservative, 1945-1955)
• Great Achievement Association, (conservative nationalist, 1889-1909)
  • formerly Conservative Party of Japan (1880)
• Constitutional Liberal Party (Japan), (liberal, 1882-1931)
• Constitutional Progressive Party, (moderate liberal, 1882-1934)
• Liberal Party of Japan (1881), (liberal, 1881)
  • formerly Aikokusha, (liberal, 1872-1881)

• Liberalism in Japan

Japan has other minor parties not represented in Parliament (which have never been represented before), mostly reformist, liberal, nationalist, socialist, and communist parties.

Ways to browse Wikipedia for political parties are by name of the party, country, ideology or by membership of internationals and through the category system: especially by country and ideology.