Understanding 98's Political Affairs

  Chapter 35

Discussing Japanese politics is incomplete without understanding that Japan's National Diet adopts a bicameral* system with the House of Representatives l and the House of Councillors .

[T/N- A bicameral system is a form of government in which the legislature is divided into two separate chambers or houses. This system is typically employed to provide a more balanced and representative form of governance. Each chamber often has distinct powers, responsibilities, and methods of election. 

- straight out of CHATGPT 🙂]

Japan’s National Diet emphasizes the superiority of the House of Representatives, but it is structured in a way that makes it impossible to ignore the House of Councillors.

Let’s start by reviewing the superiority of the House of Representatives.

[House of Representatives Homepage]

The House of Representatives and the House of Councillors jointly exercise the powers of the National Diet through their concurrent resolutions:

1. Enactment of laws

2. Decisions on the budget and other financial matters

3. Approval of treaties

4. Designation of the Prime Minister

5. Proposing amendments to the Constitution

If there is a disagreement between the two houses on a bill, the House of Representatives' decisions take precedence under certain constitutional conditions:

1. If the House of Representatives passes a bill and the House of Councillors makes a different decision, the bill becomes law if the House of Representatives passes it again with a two-thirds majority of members present.

2. For the budget (which is first submitted to the House of Representatives), treaties, and the designation of the Prime Minister, if no agreement is reached in a joint committee of both houses or if the House of Councillors does not decide within a certain period, the decision of the House of Representatives becomes the decision of the Diet.

However, there are intricacies in these mechanisms. The House of Representatives needs a two-thirds majority to override the House of Councillors, and this reconsideration must occur within the rule of deemed rejection after 60 days.

Furthermore, the ordinary session of the Diet only lasts for 150 days, during which budget deliberations must also take place. If the House of Councillors rejects a bill, and the House of Representatives does not have a two-thirds majority, or if there is not enough time, the bill will be effectively stalled.

Thus, the House of Councillors holds significant power, almost equal to that of the House of Representatives. This power was understood and leveraged by influential political factions such as the Tanaka faction, originating with former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka*, and its successor, the Takeshita faction. However, discussing this in detail would take us off-topic.

[T/N - Kakuei Tanaka was a prominent Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. He was a key figure in Japan's post-World War II political landscape, known for his significant influence in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and his role in Japan's economic development during the 1960s and 1970s.

Again straight out of CHATGPT]

Moreover, it is crucial to note that the House of Councillors cannot be dissolved. Members serve six-year terms, with half the seats up for election every three years. If a party suffers a significant defeat in an election, recovering its strength can take up to six years, a fact often overlooked by many politicians.

This power of the House of Councillors was particularly evident in the 1990s Diet.

Starting with the 15th House of Councillors election in 1989. The Socialists' landslide victory, driven by the "Madonna Boom*," led to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) losing its single-party majority for the first time since its formation, causing a prolonged period of confusion in Diet operations.

[T/N- The "Madonna Boom" refers to a significant cultural and social phenomenon in Japan during the 1980s. This term is associated with the rise and influence of Madonna, the American pop icon, and the impact she had on Japanese society, particularly on the youth and fashion trends. The Madonna Boom can be seen as part of the broader wave of Western pop culture that swept through Japan during this period.

-you predicted right 👍 it's straight out of OUR LORD SAVIOUR CHATGPT]

In the 1992 16th House of Councillors election, the LDP failed to regain its majority, which eventually led to the Hosokawa administration and the LDP's temporary fall from power following the split of the Takeshita faction.

The 1995 17th House of Councillors election took place under the coalition government of Socialist Prime Minister Murayama. This election was crucial for winning the seats up for re-election from 1989, but the coalition had to maintain its alliance as it couldn’t secure a majority.

Meanwhile, the opposition coalition governments, beginning with the Hosokawa administration, saw the emergence of the New Frontier Party (NFP). However, the NFP could not prevent its collapse following the Social Democratic Party’s withdrawal.

The LDP, perhaps thinking it had won, dissolved its coalition before the election under the Hashimoto administration.

The outcome was...

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Authors Note

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The illustrator, Kei-sama, drew a little Runa for me.

This is published with permission from the editor.

My heartfelt gratitude to Kei-san and the editors at Overlap Novels.

There are also plans for a dialogue between Big Runa and Chibi Runa.

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Translator Note

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To anyone thinking I left the chapter abruptly you are wrong it ended that way ! Author just expected to everyone to know what happened after that , [LDP]'s loss probably.