List of political parties in Japan

Japan

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This article lists political parties in Japan.

Major parties

Party	Diet Representation		Party Chairman	Comments
	Representatives	Councillors
Democratic Party (DPJ) Minshu-tō 民主党	306	106	Yoshihiko Noda PM Reps.	The DPJ is Japan's largest party. It was formed in the late 1990s as a result of the merger of several anti-LDP parties. Its membership covers a broad spectrum of political beliefs, but it is generally perceived as a center-left party.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Jiyū Minshu-tō 自由民主党, or Jimin-tō 自民党	116	84	Sadakazu Tanigaki Reps.	The LDP is Japan's second largest political party. It is a conservative party and is made up of various conservative and centrist factions. Before 2009, the LDP had 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.

Third parties

Party	Diet Representation		Party Chairman	Comments
	Representatives	Councillors
New Komeito (NKP) Kōmeitō 公明党	21	19	Natsuo Yamaguchi Coun.	The Shin Komeito Party is Japan's third largest party. It was formerly known as the Clean Government Political Assembly and the Komeito. At its foundation, the party was center-left, but it has trended rightwards as a participant in the LDP's governing coalitions. It is supported by the Buddhist new religious movement Sōka Gakkai.
Your Party (YP) Minna no Tō みんなの党	5	11	Yoshimi Watanabe Reps.	Centrism, Conservative liberalism, Economic liberalism
Communist Party (JCP) Nihon Kyōsan-tō 日本共産党, or Kyōsan-tō 共産党	9	6	Kazuo Shii Reps.	The Japanese Communist Party is Japan's fourth largest party. It is a communist party of the left-wing.
Social Democratic Party (SDP) Shakai Minshu-tō 社会民主党, or Shamin-tō 社民党	6	4	Mizuho Fukushima Coun.	SDP is a leftist political party. It is a successor of Japan Socialist Party, which had been Japan's largest opposition party in the 1955 System.
People's New Party (PNP) Kokumin Shintō 国民新党, or Kokumin-tō 国民党	3	3	Shizuka Kamei Reps.	Conservatism, Anti-Postal Privatization
Sunrise Party (SPJ) Tachiagare Nippon たちあがれ日本	3	3	Takeo Hiranuma Reps.	National conservatism, Social conservatism, Japanese nationalism, Right wing
New Renaissance Party (NRP) Shintō Kaikaku 新党改革	0	2	Yōichi Masuzoe Coun.	Conservatism, Neoliberalism

House of Representatives Election in 2009

House of Councilors Election in 2010

Minor parties

Existing national parties currently represented in the Diet

• Dissidents from the LDP formed the following parties in 2005:
  • New Party Nippon (NPN) Shintō Nippon (centrist, 2005–)
  • New Party Daichi (NPD) Shintō Daichi (Hokkaidō, conservative, 2005–)
  • Political Group of Okinawa Revolution Seitō Sōzō (Okinawa, conservative, 2005–)
• Japan Renaissance Party Kaikaku Club 改革クラブ (conservative, 2008–)
• Sunrise Party of Japan (National conservatism, led by Takeo Hiranuma, 2010-)
• Okinawa Social Mass Party Okinawa Shakai Taishū Tō (Okinawa, social liberalism, progressivism, 1950–)
  • The party is largely regional, but has 1 seat in the National Diet as well.

• Dissidents from the DPJ formed this party in 2012:
  • Kizuna Party Shintō Kizuna (liberalism, 2012-)

Existing national parties represented in the Diet in the past

Current political parties that used to be in the Diet but are not currently represented:

• Rikken Yōseikai (far right, 1923–1942, 1946–)
• Dainiin Club Dainiin Kurabu (centrist, 1983–)
• New Party for Salaried Men Sararīman Shintō (centrist, 1983–)
• Liberal League Jiyū Rengō (libertarian, 1994–)
• New Socialist Party Shin Shakai Tō (socialist, 1996–)
• Sports and Peace Party Supōtsu Heiwa Tō (centrist, 1989–)
• Takeru (centrist, 2001–)

Other parties

Japan has other minor parties not represented in Parliament (which have never been represented before), some are new, others with communist and socialist ideologies, as well as a few nationalist, reformist, and far right-wing parties. Some of them include:

• Happiness Realization Party (Founded in May 2009 Happy Science)
• Ishin Seitō Shimpū (far right, 1995–)
• Internet Breakthrough Party of Japan (led by Iron Chef Commentator and Judge and former LDP member Shinichirō Kurimoto)
• Japan Greens (green)
• Japan Nation Party (nationalist 1988–)
• Japan Revolutionary Communist League (Trotskyist, 1957–)
• Japan Revolutionary Communist League, National Committee (Middle Core Faction) (far left, 1963–)
• Japan Revolutionary Communist League (Revolutionary Marxist Faction) (Trotskyist, 1963–)
• Rainbow and Greens Niji to Midori (green)
• Women's Party (Japan) Josei Tō (Feminist, 1993–)

Regional parties

Some of the main regional parties represented in regional assemblies:

• Kanagawa Network Movement Kanagawa Nettowāku Undō (Kanagawa, socialist)
• Tokyo Seikatsusha Network Tōkyō Seikatsusha Nettowāku (Tokyo, socialist)
• Green Niigata, Midori Niigata (Niigata, communist)
  • formerly Niigata New Party for People, Shimin Shin-tō Niigata (Niigata, communist)
• Kariyushi Club Kariyushi Kurabu (Okinawa, independentist)
• New Party Daichi, Political Group of Okinawa Revolution, Osaka Restoration Association and Okinawa Social Mass Party are considered largely regional, although they have seats in the National Diet.

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 (centrist reformist-ecologist, 1998–2002)
  • formerly New Party Sakigake (centrist 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 (agrarian conservative, 1947–1950)
• Liberal Party (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)

See also

• Politics of Japan
• Liberalism in Japan
• List of political parties by country
• Political party