Japan - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Japan, it was the English word for Japan comes from the Chinese name for the country, Cipangu; both Nihon and Nippon come from the Japanese words nichi, or "sun," and hon, or "origin," which is frequently translated as "Land of the Rising Sun". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary constitutional monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
National symbols
Red sun disc, chrysanthemum.
The flag
The National flag of Japan has .
Info
The National Anthem
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More about the government of Japan
| Date of Independence | 3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 11 February 660 B.C. (mythological date of Emperor JIMMU founding the nation); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy) |
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| National holiday | Birthday of Emperor NARUHITO, 23 February (1960) |
| Legal system | civil law system based on German model; also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947 |
| Amendment process | Proposed by the Diet; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority of both houses of the Diet and approval by majority in a referendum |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Japan |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | Emperor NARUHITO (since 1 May 2019) |
| Head of government | vacant (since 7 September 2025) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the prime minister |
| Election/appointment process | the monarchy is hereditary; the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister |
| Election results | 2024: Shigeru ISHIBA (LDP) elected prime minister on 27 September 2024; upper house vote - 143 of 242 votes; lower house vote - 291 of 461 votes 2021: Fumio KISHIDA reelected prime minister on 10 November 2021; upper house vote - Fumio KISHIDA (LDP) 141, Yukio EDANO (CDP) 60; lower house vote - Fumio KISHIDA 297, Yukio EDANO 108 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | National Diet (Kokkai) |
| Legislative structure | Bicameral |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and 14 associate justices) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum during the first general election of the House of Representatives after each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward |
| Subordinate courts | 8 High Courts (Koto-saiban-sho), each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho); 50 District Courts (Chiho saibansho), with 203 additional branches; 438 Summary Courts (Kani saibansho) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador YAMADA Shigeo (since 27 February 2024) |
| Chancery | 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 238-6700 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 328-2187 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html |
| Consulate(s) general | Chicago |
| Consulate(s) | Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), Seattle (WA) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador George GLASS (since 17 July 2025) |
| Embassy | 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420 |
| Mailing address | 9800 Tokyo Place, Washington DC 20521-9800 |
| Telephone | [81] (03) 3224-5000 |
| FAX | [81] (03) 3224-5856 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://jp.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo |
| Consulate(s) | Fukuoka, Nagoya |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 26 (21 cultural, 5 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (c); Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (c); Himeji-jo (c); Shiretoko (n); Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan (c); Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan (c); Yakushima (n); Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (c); Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (c); Shirakami-Sanchi (n); Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (c); Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (c); Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (c); Shrines and Temples of Nikko (c); Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (c); Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (c); Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land (c); Ogasawara Islands (n); Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region (c); Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (c); Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (n); Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Japan
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Japan
Want to know more about Japan? Check all different factbooks for Japan below.
