The is the lower house of the
Diet of Japan. The
House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.
The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for four-year terms. Of these, 180 are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by
proportional representation, and 300 are elected from single-member constituencies. The House of Representatives is the more powerful of the two houses, able to override vetoes on bills imposed by the House of Councillors with a two-thirds majority. It can be dissolved by the
Prime Minister at will, as it was by
Junichiro Koizumi on
August 8,
2005, due to a division within his
Liberal Democratic Party.
Right to vote and candidature
★ Japanese nationals aged 20 years and older may vote.
★ Japanese nationals aged 25 years and older may run for office in the lower house.
Differences between the Upper and Lower House
The House of Representatives has several powers not given to the House of Councillors. If a bill is passed by the
lower house (the House of Representatives) but is voted down by the
upper house (the
House of Councillors) the House of Representatives can override the decision of the other chamber by a two-thirds vote in the affirmative. However, in the case of
treaties, the
budget, and the selection of the prime minister, the House of Councillors can only delay passage, but not block the legislation. As a result, the House of Representatives is considered the more powerful house.
Members of the House of Representatives, who are elected to a maximum of four years, sit for a shorter term than members of the
House of Councillors, who are elected to full six-year terms. The lower house can also be dissolved by the Prime Minister or the passage of a nonconfidence motion, while the House of Councillors cannot be dissolved. Thus the House of Representatives is considered to be more sensitive to public opinion, and is termed the "lower house".
The term "lower house" is also a legacy of the 1889
Meiji Constitution, when the
House of Peers functioned as an
aristocratic upper house in a format similar to the
House of Lords in the
Westminster system, or the
Reichsrat in the
Prussian-based
German government of the time.
Latest election result
Main articles: Japan general election, 2005
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House of Representatives of Japan by Party
See also
★
List of Districts of the House of Representatives of Japan
External links
★
House of Representatives Website (in English) - Official site of the House of Representatives