Komeito (Former)
Encyclopedia
The Kōmeitō also known as Clean Government Party or CGP, was a political party in Japan
. It was centrist
, sometimes also classified as centre-left
.
.
From 1955 to 1967, the Sōka Gakkai backed and got elected many candidates in local assembly politics: 51 out of 52 were elected in 1955; and by 1967 close to 2,000 were elected.
The League of the Sōka Gakkai also backed candidates to the Upper House where 3 members were elected in 1956 - a number that has never ceased to increase since (25 members in 1967; 47 in 1969).
In 1964 the president of the Sōka Gakkai of the time, Daisaku Ikeda
, decided to split the Sōka Gakkai (the religious body) from the League (political body). Thus was created the Kōmeitō.
In 1969, the Kōmeitō became the third political party in Japan.
It was usually supportive of the Japan Socialist Party, and opposed the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party
), the major ruling party at that time.
Kōmeitō did quite well, and in 1993, when the LDP was for the first time declared an opposition party, the Kōmeitō became one of the ruling parties, headed by the liberal
Japan New Party
, but which also included the Democratic Socialist Party
, Japan Renewal Party
, the New Party Sakigake
, and the Japan Socialist Party. In 1994, the latter two parties left the coalition, and in July they took over the rule, making another coalition with the LDP. The Kōmeitō was again thrown into opposition.
On December 5, 1994, The Kōmeitō split into two parties. Lower House chairs and some of Upper House chars formed Kōmeitō New Party, and 5 days later, they joined into the New Frontier Party
. The others, i.e. local assembly members and the rest of Upper House chairs, formed Kōmei and independent friend of the New Frontier Party.
In 1998, however, the New Frontier Party dissolved and former Kōmeitō members formed New Peace Party and Reform Club. They merged with Kōmei in the same year and then became known as the NKP (New Kōmeitō Party
). The NKP adopted a more conservative agenda than the former Kōmeitō and in 1999 they supported the ruling party, the LDP.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
, sometimes also classified as centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
.
History
Kōmeitō was originally the Kōmei Political League, a section of the Sōka Gakkai, an organization that promotes Nichiren BuddhismNichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism is a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren...
.
From 1955 to 1967, the Sōka Gakkai backed and got elected many candidates in local assembly politics: 51 out of 52 were elected in 1955; and by 1967 close to 2,000 were elected.
The League of the Sōka Gakkai also backed candidates to the Upper House where 3 members were elected in 1956 - a number that has never ceased to increase since (25 members in 1967; 47 in 1969).
In 1964 the president of the Sōka Gakkai of the time, Daisaku Ikeda
Daisaku Ikeda
is president of Sōka Gakkai International , a Nichiren Buddhist lay association which claims 12 million members in 192 countries and territories, and founder of several educational, cultural and peace research institutions.-Life and establishment of SGI:...
, decided to split the Sōka Gakkai (the religious body) from the League (political body). Thus was created the Kōmeitō.
In 1969, the Kōmeitō became the third political party in Japan.
It was usually supportive of the Japan Socialist Party, and opposed the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre-right political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world. The LDP ruled almost continuously for nearly 54 years from its founding in 1955 until its defeat in the 2009 election...
), the major ruling party at that time.
Kōmeitō did quite well, and in 1993, when the LDP was for the first time declared an opposition party, the Kōmeitō became one of the ruling parties, headed by the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Japan New Party
Japan New Party
The Japan New Party was a Japanese political party that existed briefly from 1992 to 1994. It should not be confused with the New Party Nippon founded in 2005....
, but which also included the Democratic Socialist Party
Democratic Socialist Party (Japan)
The was a social democratic party in Japan.- History :The Democratic Socialist Party was established in 1960 by a breakaway group of the Japan Socialist Party. It was made up of many members of the former Rightist Socialist Party of Japan, a moderate social-democratic faction that existed...
, Japan Renewal Party
Japan Renewal Party
The Japan Renewal Party was a Japanese political party that existed in the early 1990s. It was founded in 1993 by 44 members of the Liberal Democratic Party led by Tsutomu Hata and Ichirō Ozawa...
, the New Party Sakigake
New Party Sakigake
The New Party Sakigake was a Japanese political party that broke away from the Liberal Democratic Party on June 22, 1993. The party was created by Masayoshi Takemura. The party, was a centrist party, and it had many reformist and even moderate ecological elements. The theoretical reader was...
, and the Japan Socialist Party. In 1994, the latter two parties left the coalition, and in July they took over the rule, making another coalition with the LDP. The Kōmeitō was again thrown into opposition.
On December 5, 1994, The Kōmeitō split into two parties. Lower House chairs and some of Upper House chars formed Kōmeitō New Party, and 5 days later, they joined into the New Frontier Party
New Frontier Party
The was a Japanese political party that existed during the mid-1990s. As a merger of several small parties, the party was ideologically diverse, with its membership ranging from moderate socialists to neoliberals and conservatives...
. The others, i.e. local assembly members and the rest of Upper House chairs, formed Kōmei and independent friend of the New Frontier Party.
In 1998, however, the New Frontier Party dissolved and former Kōmeitō members formed New Peace Party and Reform Club. They merged with Kōmei in the same year and then became known as the NKP (New Kōmeitō Party
New Komeito Party
The , New Kōmei Party, or NKP is a centre-right political party in Japan founded by members of the Nichiren Buddhist organization Sōka Gakkai. The leadership and financing of the two groups are currently independent...
). The NKP adopted a more conservative agenda than the former Kōmeitō and in 1999 they supported the ruling party, the LDP.
See also
- Sōka Gakkai
- Clean Government Political AssemblyClean Government Political AssemblyThe Clean Government Political Assembly ' - otherwise known as the Komei Political Assembly, was a political organization in Japan from 1961 to 1964. It was the forerunner of the Komeitō , which in 1998 merged into the New Komeito Party....
- New Kōmeitō PartyNew Komeito PartyThe , New Kōmei Party, or NKP is a centre-right political party in Japan founded by members of the Nichiren Buddhist organization Sōka Gakkai. The leadership and financing of the two groups are currently independent...
- Politics of JapanPolitics of JapanThe politics of Japan is conducted in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, where Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. Japanese politics uses a multi-party system. Executive power exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Diet, with...
- List of political parties in Japan
- Japan Socialist Party
- Social Democratic Party (Japan)Social Democratic Party (Japan)The Social Democratic Party The Social Democratic Party The Social Democratic Party (社会民主党 Shakai Minshu-tō, often abbreviated to 社民党 Shamin-tō; also known as the Social Democratic Party of Japan (abbreviated to SDPJ or SDP in English) is a political party that advocates for the establishment of a...