Third Parties Currently Represented in The National Diet
| Party | Diet Representation | Party Leader | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representatives | Councillors | |||
| People's Life First (LF) Kokumin no seikatsu ga daiichi 国民の生活が第一 |
37 |
12 |
Ichirō Ozawa | People's Life First was founded by Ichiro Ozawa and 48 other diet members who were in the Democratic Party of Japan after the DPJ government of Yoshihiko Noda voted to increase the consumption tax from 5% to 10%. It is the third largest party in the Japanese House of Representatives of Japan. |
| New Komeito (NKP) Kōmeitō 公明党 ("New Clean Government", "Fairness" or "Justice Party") |
21 |
19 |
Natsuo Yamaguchi | The New Komeito Party 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. It was Japan's third largest party in the House of Representatives of Japan until the formation of People's Life First in 2012. |
| Your Party (YP) Minna no Tō みんなの党 ("Everybody's Party") |
5 |
11 |
Yoshimi Watanabe | Centrism, Conservative liberalism, Economic liberalism |
| Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Nihon Kyōsan-tō 日本共産党 |
9 |
6 |
Kazuo Shii | 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 |
6 |
4 |
Mizuho Fukushima | 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. |
| Japan Restoration Party (JRP) Nippon Ishin no Kai 日本維新の会 |
5 |
4 |
Tōru Hashimoto |
economic liberalism, administrative reform |
| Kizuna Party Shintō Kizuna 新党きづな ("New Party ’Kizuna’") |
9 |
0 |
Akira Uchiyama | founded in December 2011 by former Ozawa Democrats, opposed to VAT hike, opposed to joining TPP |
| People's New Party (PNP) Kokumin Shintō 国民新党 |
3 |
3 |
Shōzaburō Jimi | Conservatism, Anti-Postal Privatization |
| Sunrise Party (SP) Taiyō no Tō 太陽の党 |
2 |
3 |
Takeo Hiranuma Shintaro Ishihara |
National conservatism, Social conservatism, Japanese nationalism, Right wing |
| New Party Daichi – True Democrats Shintō Daichi – Shinminshu 新党大地・真民主 |
3 |
2 |
Muneo Suzuki | founded in December 2011 by New Party Daichi and ex-Democrats, Hokkaidō regionalism, opposed to joining TPP |
| Green Breeze Party Midori no Kaze みどりの風 |
2 |
4 |
4 co-leaders | founded as a parliamentary group in July 2012, as a party in November 2012, opposed to joining TPP, VAT increase, nuclear power |
| Anti-TPP, Anti-Nuclear, Consumption Tax Hike Freeze Realization Party Han-TPP - Datsu-Genpatsu - Shōhizei Zōzei Tōketsu wo Jitsugen Suru Tō 反TPP・脱原発・消費増税凍結を実現する党 |
2 | 0 | Shizuka Kamei | Founded by Kamei and Masahiko Yamada in November 2012 following their respective departures from the PNP and DPJ |
| New Renaissance Party (NRP) Shintō Kaikaku 新党改革 ("New Reform Party") |
0 |
2 |
Yōichi Masuzoe | Conservatism, Neoliberalism |
| New Party Nippon (NPN) Shintō Nippon 新党日本 |
1 |
0 |
Yasuo Tanaka | opposed to postal privatization, one-man party |
| Tax Cuts Japan Genzei Nippon 減税日本 |
1 |
0 |
Takashi Kawamura |
economic liberalism, administrative reform |
| Okinawa Socialist Masses Party (OSMP) Okinawa Shakai Taishūtō 沖縄社会大衆党 |
0 |
1 |
Keiko Itokazu | social democracy, Okinawa regionalism |
Legal status as political party (seitō) is tied to having five members in the Diet or at least two percent nationally of either proportional or local vote in the last Representatives or one of the last two Councillors elections. Political parties receive public party funding (¥ 250 per citizen, about ¥ 32 bill. in total per fiscal year, distributed according to recent national elections results – last HR general and last two HC regular elections – and Diet strength on January 1), are allowed to concurrently nominate candidates for the House of Representatives in an electoral district and on a proportional list, may take political donations from legal persons, i.e. corporations, and other benefits such as air time on public broadcaster NHK.
Read more about this topic: Political Parties In Japan
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