(1933)

Constitution: 3 May 1947

Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with
English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the
Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Ryutaro HASHIMOTO (since 11 January
1996); note - an acting prime minister - determined upon a rotational
basis - serves when Prime Minister HASHIMOTO is out of the country
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: none; the emperor is a constitutional monarch; the Diet
designates the prime minister; the constitution requires that the
prime minister must command a parliamentary majority, therefore,
following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
leader of a majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually
becomes prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of
Councillors or Sangi-in (252 seats; one-half of the members elected
every three years - 76 seats of which are elected from the 47
multi-seat prefectural districts and 50 of which are elected from a
single nationwide list with voters casting ballots by party; members
elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives or Shugi-in (500 seats - 200 of which are elected from
11 regional blocks on a proportional representation basis and 300 of
which are elected from 300 single-seat districts; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Councillors - last held 23 July 1995 (next to be
held NA July 1998); House of Representatives - last held 20 October
1996 (next to be held by October 2000)
election results : House of Councillors - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - LDP 110, NFP 56, SDP 38, JCP 14, Sakigake 3,
others 19, independents 12; note - the distribution of seats as of
March 1997 is as follows - LDP 112, NFP 61, SDP 23, JCP 14, Sakigake
3, others 39; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - LDP 240, NFP 142, DPJ 52, JCP 26, SDP 15, Sun
Party 10, others and independents 15; note - the distribution of seats
as of March 1997 is as follows - LDP 241, NFP 141, DPJ 52, JCP 26, SDP
15, Sun Party 10, others and independents 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the