f which are elected from
11 regional blocks on a proportional representation basis and 300 of
which are elected from 300 single-seat districts; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Councillors-last held 23 July 1995 (next to be
held NA July 1998); House of Representatives-last held 20 October 1996
(next to be held by October 2000)
election results: House of Councillors-percent of vote by party-NA;
seats by party - LDP 110, NFP 56, SDP 38, JCP 14, Sakigake 3, others
19, independents 12; note-the distribution of seats as of April 1998
is as follows-LDP 118, DPJ 41, Komei 24, SDP 21, JCP 14, Liberal Party
12, Sakigake 3, Reform Club 3, others 14, vacancies 2; House of
Representatives-percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party-LDP 240,
NFP 142, DPJ 52, JCP 26, SDP 15, Sun Party 10, others 15; note-the
distribution of seats as of April 1998 is as follows - LDP 261, DPJ
93, Liberal Party 40, New Peace Party 37, JCP 26, SDP 15, Reform Club
9, Sakigake 2, others 17

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the
emperor after designation by the cabinet, all other justices are
appointed by the cabinet

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Ryutaro
HASHIMOTO, president, Koichi KATO, secretary general; Social
Democratic Party (SDP), Takako DOI, chairperson, Tadatoshi AKIBA,
secretary general; Sakigake (Harbinger), Akiko DOMOTO, chairperson,
Hiroyuki SONODA, secretary general; Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ),
Naoto KAN, leader, Tsutomu HATA, secretary general; Japan Communist
Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, chairman, Kazuo SHII, secretary general;
Komei, Toshiko HAMAYOTSU, chief; Liberal Party, Ichiro OZAWA,
president, Takeshi NODA, secretary general; New Peace Party, Takenori
KANZAKI, leader, Tetsuzo FUYUBASHI, secretary general; Reform Club,
Tatsuo OZAWA, leader, Katsuyuki ISHIDA, secretary general
note: subsequent to the last legislative elections, the New Frontier
Party (NFP) disbanded; the Sun Party was formed by former NFP members,
but later disbanded; the DPJ was formed by former members of the SDP
and Sakigake and, in April 1998, was joined by three additional
parties which had formed after the NFP disbanded; Reform Club, New
Peace Party, and Liberal Party were formed in January 1998 after the
NFP disbanded

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), APEC,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CP, EBRD, ESCA