Government of Japan



The Government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy in which the power of the Emperor is limited and is relegated primarily to ceremonial duties. As in many other states, the Government is divided into three branches: The Legislative branch, the Executive branch, and the Judicial branch.

Empire of Japan (1868-1947)
Nippon's rapid industrialization and militarization under the slogan Fukoku Kyohei and Shokusan Kogyo led to its emergence as a world power and the establishment of a colonial empire following the First Sino-Japanese War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Russo-Japanese War, and World War I. Economic and political turmoil in the 1920s led to the rise of militarism and totalitarianism, eventually culminating in Japan's membership in the Axis alliance (Nazi Germany and Italy) and the conquest of a large part of the Asia-Pacific in World War II.

Japan's armed forces initially achieved large-scale military successes during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and the Pacific War. However, after many Allied victories and following the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan on August 9, 1945, and subsequent invasion of Manchuria and other territories, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Empire surrendered to the Allies on August 15, 1945. A period of occupation by the Allies followed. In 1947, with American involvement, a new constitution was enacted, officially bringing the Empire of Japan to an end. Occupation and reconstruction continued until 1952, eventually forming the current constitutional monarchy known as Japan.

The Emperors during this time, which spanned the entire Meiji, Taisho, and the lesser part of the Showa era, are now known in Japan by their posthumous names, which coincide with those era names: Emperor Meiji, Emperor Taisho, and Emperor Showa.

1990s
In the 1980s, these were known as the golden years for Nippon, the country saw high growth and security. That being said things started to fall apart in the rise of the 1990s crash. With the Crash arose more problems, unemployment rose after years of great success, as well as the crime. The wars that took place in South America caused and influx of Japanese decent refugees to flee to Japan with their families, this increased social stresses. The Government grew more corrupt after this point, with bribery scandals picking off bureaucrats, politicians, and the corporates. The mass media put more attention on the Royal events, rather then informing the public of the country's problems. They did this by showcasing the Imperial family, the media corps did this to hopefully increase the goodwill of the people toward the government.

In every country its common to have the media and Government distract people from the internal problems through diplomacy. So the Japanese Self Dense Bureau sent out the SDF troops abroad for the first time since the Empire of Japan of the early 1900s. This was too keep the peace, and trumpeted this effort daily in the media, aggravating the paranoid neighbors.

In the forefront during this, was a man named Arasaka Saburo. Saburo nearly attained his goal of restoring Japan to its Pre-WW2 Empire. Important changes occurred in the political scene of Japan. The first change was seen in the slimming down of Bureaucracy in the "Grand Unification of Ministries and Agencies" of 1995. The most important facts are that the "Defense Agency" was elevated to the "Ministry of Defense," this gave the SDF more power than what they previously had; and that extensive domestic functions, including police, were grouped together in the "Ministry of Home Affairs."

The changes taking place would cause political chaos for the next 20 years. Just after came the abolishing of Article 9 indefinitely in 1996. This, as well as the changes in the SDF laws passed in 1997, freed the Japanese SDF for the first time since WW2 to be an actual army. This also cemented Arasaka's grasp of power in Japan.

Saburo's plan was still blocked in the end by the "Bald-Hill Scandal" of 1997. 60% of the Diet from all parties, including ministers and the Prime Minister, Daijiro Adachi, were arrested by the civilian police for bribery. It was here after the Diet re-convened, a reporter commented saying "The Diet chamber looks just like a deforested hill." Later dubbing the scandal as Bald Hill, coining the phrase that would be known for years to come. Arasaka's opponents became the political sponsors of the prosecution, and even sacrificed some of their own people to the investigations. In order to undermine Arasaka Saburo and the SDF under his control, a group was formed by other large and small Japanese corporations. This group that consisted of the various corporations of Japan would soon unite under FACS (Far Asain Co-prosperity Sphere) banner.

The Diet was dissolved at the time, and a new general election was too be held, and a conservative, yet anti-Arasaka, government was formed. At this time, there were mass retirements of SDF personal who didn't want to work for the new government. Arasaka then recruited a majority of them for the corporate forces and then were sent to the training camp of Hokkaido.

2000s
In the new millennium of Japan, Arasaka Saburo started with his counter attack. Using a multitude of behind the scenes manipulation scandals, the leading parties and opposition were repeatedly split and reformed-until finally a government that Arasaka could manipulate was organized. This new government attempted to reduce the power of the police and the FACS controlled Home Affairs Ministry, and increase opportunities for the SDF and Arasaka corporate police.

Finally Arasaka found some success. The National Police Agency was dissolved to half of what it was, however Arasaka police universal coverage was completely blocked. Instead the policing was divided by prefectures of Japan, the Governors of these prefectures would then choose which corporate police to hire. However certain cities and prefectures local governments like Tokyo, Chiba, and Osaka would stay with the public police.

2010s
The nonstop infighting between Arasaka and FACS brought both groups an expansion of power. Without any internal competition, neither Arasaka nor FACS could have penetrated the American and Asian markets as the fast or powerfully as they had done. The Government of Japan seemed to stand still as this happened.

2020s
During the Fourth Corporate War of 2022 and 2023 the government scrabbled to take control of the situation at hand. Besides a few skirmishes in select cities such as Tokyo or Yokohama, the war between Arasaka and Militech wasn't felt in Japan, the state of the country was very much peaceful with crime rates at an all time low. Japanese government however feared for their international relations as well an Militech-sponsored Chinese invasion. The Prime Minister Jirou Kikuchi, gave the order to put the Self Defense Force on alert readying for the inevitable attacks on Arasaka assets. The PM also took note of the EEC in their nationalization of the Arasaka Europe Division, attempting to do the same for Arasaka. However, Saburo used his influence and connections in the Diet to block any attempts to do so. During the course of the war, Yorinobu Arasaka worked with the government supplying info that would help in their efforts.

The Government was eventually successful in nationalizing Arasaka and cutting it off from the war effort. To fix international relations public apologies were made, stating the corporation was out of their control. National face was saved, the government that was near collapse was stable once again. After the nationalization was complete and the war was effectively over, Arasaka was then by law to be a Japan-Only company for the next ten years.

Government The Heart and the Mask
The Japanese Government follows the tradition of every other by being complex and confusing, covered with political red tape. That being said it is easily understood if you apply the Japanese ideas of Tatamae (surface feelings, or mask) and Honne (truth feelings, or heart). Like most of the populous of Japan who don't tell you of something bad, because it could upset you, the Government hides its activities to protect the general publics feelings.

Tatamae (The Beautiful Mask)
The Kokkai (Government) of Nippon is very much based on British parliamentary system. The Government is divided into three branches: Legislative (the Diet, which is split into the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors), Judicial ( or known as the courts), and finally the Executive (The Bureaucracy). Each of these branches exist in order to keep the other two houses in check.

The public elects members of the Diet, who in turn elect the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then has the power to organize a Cabinet, appointing a Secretary of the Supreme Court, and nominates Ministers for the bureaucracy. Japan lives by the ministries established.

The Court is independent from both the Diet and the Bureau. The local governments seem to also have independent legislative and administrative branches, but the local courts all must abide under the National Court. The Japanese court does not have a trial by jury. Instead seven judges will pass judgement, the number being larger for bigger courts and more important cases.

Honne (The Ugly Truth)
The system is separated into three different worlds: Political, Official, and Financial - all of which believe they alone keep Japan standing at its state.

The Political world is made of mostly a nationalistic Conservative party and a Labor party. The Conservative party suffered from the Bald-Hill scandal of 1997, but still managed to survive through a political sleight of hand and name changes. As for the Labor party, they mainly back up the Conservatives on a realistic line. That being said the Labor party is even more nationalistic than the Conservatives, and views the ruling party as too lenient. The Labor party believes it's saving all Japan's profits all for themselves. The Japanese Communist Party is a small party that has been often excommunicated from everyone else. Only other Communist agree with their efforts and believe that they'd be able to control the country. Most people who vote JCP 97% of the time are doing so in protest, and don't actually believe in the party itself.

The Official world is the domain held by the Ministries, who attempt to rule their areas with the strength of the old Soviet bureaucracy. The biggest difference being that the "Guardians of Japan" are Millions of times more efficient in doing so. During the 1995 "Grand Unification of Ministries and Agencies," when 25 Ministries were formed into 10, slatted their confidence in performing their duties for years, but leaner and meaner then ever before they were able to jump back. Naturally the Ministries also believe they are the ones that keep Japan going and what it needs in order to succeed. A majority of the Diet appointed Ministers don't have a faint idea of what's happening in their departments. The replies to questions in the Diet are done so by the bureaucrats, occasionally in place of the Minister. The Ministers often fight both Diet and amongst themselves to prevent the loss of influence.

As for the financial world, it's made up of the corporations. according to outsiders or gaijin the Corporations and the products they have make up the whole of Japan. After all most people outside of the country believe they were the ones who rebuilt Japan after WW2.

As for the one that has more control over the other, that's a tricky question. Neither party has complete authority or control over Japan. The truth is the three are just other pieces of the puzzle used to keep each other in check, and will often combine forces to combat outside threats. Even Arasaka Saburo, "Japan's Supposed Greatest Man"," is just another piece in this puzzle.

Legislative Branch
A legislature is a deliberative assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. Legislatures form important parts of most governments; in the separation of powers model, they are often contrasted with the executive and judicial branches of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are known as primary legislation. Legislatures observe and steer governing actions and usually have exclusive authority to amend the budget or budgets involved in the process. The members of a legislature are called legislators. In a democracy, legislators are most commonly popularly elected, although indirect election and appointment by the executive are also used, particularly for bicameral legislatures featuring an upper chamber.

Executive Branch
The executive is the branch of government exercising authority in and holding responsibility for the governance of a state. The executive executes and enforces law. In political systems based on the principle of separation of powers, authority is distributed among several branches (executive, legislative, judicial)—an attempt to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of a single group of people. In such a system, the executive does not pass laws (the role of the legislature) or interpret them (the role of the judiciary). Instead, the executive enforces the law as written by the legislature and interpreted by the judiciary. The executive can be the source of certain types of law, such as a decree or executive order. Executive bureaucracies are commonly the source of regulations.

The Executive branch of Japan is headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet, and is designated by the legislative organ, the National Diet. The Cabinet consists of the Ministers of State and may be appointed or dismissed by the Prime Minister at any time. Explicitly defined to be the source of executive power, it is in practice, however, mainly exercised by the Prime Minister. The practice of its powers is responsible to the Diet, and as a whole, should the Cabinet lose confidence and support to be in office by the Diet, the Diet may dismiss the Cabinet en masse with a motion of no confidence.

Judicial Branch
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary can also be thought of as the mechanism for the resolution of disputes. Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the judiciary generally does not make statutory law (which is the responsibility of the legislature) or enforce law (which is the responsibility of the executive), but rather interprets law and applies it to the facts of each case. However, in some countries the judiciary does make common law.

In many jurisdictions the judicial branch has the power to change laws through the process of judicial review. Courts with judicial review power may annul the laws and rules of the state when it finds them incompatible with a higher norm, such as primary legislation, the provisions of the constitution, treaties or international law. Judges constitute a critical force for interpretation and implementation of a constitution, thus de facto in common law countries creating the body of constitutional law.

Role of Tenno (Emperor)
After Emperor Showa (Tenno) passed away abrand new age for Japan had started. Emperor Shinka (Tenno), the 125 Emperor, wanted more involvement in Japanese politics, a power given up after WW2. Shinka Tenno managed to make his mark in politics and reform the laws and systems; the most important change being the Imperial Household Law, Article 1; this new law granted the ability for women to become the Emperor (Tenno). Shinka Tenno became the main focus of shots fired and bombs, conspiracy, and fierce competition for the Imperial Connections. The Tennos during this time had changed three times between the years 2014 to 2019. By 2019, the only lineal descendant of the house of Tenno was a niece of Emperor Shinka (Tenno), however she was only 13 years old.