Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara,
Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane,
Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama,
Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Independence: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)

National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)

Constitution: 3 May 1947

Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with
English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the
Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Tomiichi MURAYAMA (since 30 June
1994); Deputy Prime Minister Yohei KONO (since 30 June 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house
or House of Councillors and a lower house or House of Representatives
House of Councillors (Sangi-in): half of the members elected every
three years to six-year terms; elections last held on 26 July 1992
(next set to be held 23 July 1995); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (252 total) LDP 106, SDPJ 73, Komeito 24, DSP 12, JCP 11,
JNP 4, others 16, independents 6; note - the distribution of seats as
of 1 April 1995 is as follows - LDP 94, SDPJ 68, Heisei-kai 47, Shin
Ryokufu-kai 16, JCP 11, others 15, vacant 1
House of Representatives (Shugi-in): all members elected every four
years to four-year terms; elections last held on 18 July 1993 (next to
be held by 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (511
total) LDP 223, SDPJ 70, Shinseito 55, Komeito 51, JNP 35, JCP 15, DSP
15, Sakigake 13, others 4, independents 30; note - the distribution of
seats as of 1 April 1995 is as follows - LDP 207, Shinshinto 173, SDPJ
70, Sakigake 21, JCP 15, others 19, vacant 6

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Yohei
KONO, president and Yoshiro MORI, secretary general; Social Democratic
Party of Japan (SDPJ), Tomiichi MURAYAMA; Japan Communist Party (JCP),
Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman; Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi
TAKEMURA, chairman; Shinshinto (New Frontier Party, NFP), Toshiki
KAIFU, chairman and Ichiro OZAWA, secretary general
note: Shinshinto was formed in December 1994 by the merger of
Shi