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The Imperial Family of Japan.
Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor (天皇 tennō,
literally "heavenly sovereign") is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he
is defined by the constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of
the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other
elected members of the Diet, while sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people.
The emperor effectively acts as the head of state on diplomatic occasions.
Akihito is the current Emperor of Japan.
Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament. The Diet
consists of a House of Representatives, containing 480 seats, elected by popular
vote every four years or when dissolved, and a House of Councillors of 242
seats, whose popularly-elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal
suffrage for adults over 20 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elective
offices. The liberal conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been in
power since 1955, except for a short-lived coalition government formed from
opposition parties in 1993. The largest opposition party is the social liberal
Democratic Party of Japan.
The Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. The position is appointed
by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its
members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain
in office. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet (the literal
translation of his Japanese title is "Prime Minister of the Cabinet") and
appoints and dismisses the Ministers of State, a majority of whom must be Diet
members. Shinzo Abe currently serves as the Prime Minister of Japan.
Historically influenced by Chinese law, the Japanese legal system developed
independently during the Edo period through texts such as Kujikata Osadamegaki.
However, since the late nineteenth century, the judicial system has been largely
based on the civil law of Europe, notably France and Germany. For example, in
1896, the Japanese government established a civil code based on the French
model. With post-World War II modifications, the code remains in effect in
present-day Japan. Statutory law originates in Japan's legislature, the National
Diet of Japan, with the rubber-stamp approval of the Emperor. The current
constitution requires that the Emperor promulgates legislation passed by the
Diet, without specifically giving him the power to oppose the passing of the
legislation. Japan's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme
Court and three levels of lower courts. The main body of Japanese statutory law
is a collection called the Six Codes.
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