NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Japanese Communist Party

The Japanese Communist Party or Japan Communist Party (JCP) (in Japanese 日本共産党, Nihon Kyōsan-tō) is a political party in Japan. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ...

The JCP advocates the abolition of capitalism and the establishment of a society based on socialism, democracy and peace, and opposition to militarism. It proposes to achieve these objectives by working within the framework of capitalism in order to achieve its goals, while still struggling against what it describes as "imperialism and its subordinate ally, monopoly capital." Although it is a Leninist party, the JCP does not advocate socialist revolution: it claims to adhere to the idea of a "democratic revolution" to achieve "democratic change in politics and the economy," and also "the complete restoration of Japan's national sovereignty", which it sees as infringed by Japan's security alliance with the United States. This box: Capitalism generally refers to an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately owned, and in which capital is invested in the production, distribution and/or other trade of goods and services for profit. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. ... Militarism or militarist ideology is the doctrinal view of a society as being best served (or more efficient) when it is governed or guided by concepts embodied in the culture, doctrine, system, or people of the military. ... Imperialism is a policy of extending control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires. ... In economics, a monopoly (from the Latin word monopolium - Greek language monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a product or service. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism refers to various related political and economic theories elaborated by Bolshevik revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, and by other theorists who claim to be carrying on Lenins work. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region or group of people, such as a nation or a tribe. ...

The JCP is one of the largest non-ruling communist parties in the world, with about 400,000 members belonging to 25,000 branches. Unlike Communist parties in Europe and elsewhere, it has not suffered an internal crisis as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, nor has it considered disbanding or changing its name or fundamental objectives, as many other Communist parties have done. Its electoral strength, however, is declining. It polled 11.3 percent of the vote in 2000, 8.2 percent in 2003 and 7.3 percent at the September 2005 election. This still means that the JCP polled nearly 5 million votes. A Communist party is a party which promotes Communism. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

The JCP was founded on July 15, 1922, as an underground political association. Outlawed at once under the Peace Preservation Law, the JCP was subjected to repression and persecution by the military and police of Imperial Japan. It was the only political party in Japan that opposed Japan's involvement in World War II. The party was legalised during the U.S. occupation of Japan in 1945, and since then has been a legal political party able to contest elections. The party did not take sides during the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s. It reached the peak of its electoral strength in the 1970s. July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Peace Preservation Law (Japanese: 治安維持法; Chian-ijihô) was a Japanese law passed in 1925 as a mechanism for the royal family to entrench itself against a growing left wing. ... The ensign of Imperial Japanese Navy was a prominent symbol of Imperial Japan. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... The Sino-Soviet split was a major diplomatic conflict between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), beginning in the late 1950s, reaching a peak in 1969 and continuing in various ways until the late 1980s. ...

The JCP has maintained its position partly because of the collapse of the old Japan Socialist Party, once the country's main opposition party but now (2005) reduced to 5.5 percent of the vote. The new major opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, differs in its policies only slightly from the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, leaving left-wing voters with no other choice than the JCP. The JCP has also been helped by recent reforms to the Japanese electoral system. It is unable to win any single-member constituencies, but retains its representation by winning some of the proportional representation seats. The Social Democratic Party (ç¤¾ä¼šæ°‘ä¸»å…š Shakai Minshu-tÅ, often abbreviated to ç¤¾æ°‘å…š Shamin-tÅ; also abbreviated as SDP in English) is a political party of Japan. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Democratic Party of Japan ) is a liberal party in Japan. ... The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), also known as JiyÅ« MinshutÅ (è‡ªç”±æ°‘ä¸»å…š, or the abbreviation Jimin-tÅ è‡ªæ°‘å…š) is a liberal conservative political party and the largest political party in Japan, as of 2005. ... Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is an electoral system delivering a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates (grouped by a certain measure) obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive (usually in legislative assemblies). ...

Lam Peng Er argued in Pacific Affairs in 1996 that "the JCP's viability is crucial to the health of Japanese democracy." This, he says, is because: "It is the only established party in parliament that has not been coopted by the conservative parties. It performs the watchdog role against the ruling parties without fear or favor. More importantly, the JCP often offers the only opposition candidate in prefectural governorship, city mayoral and other local elections. Despite the ostensible differences between the non-Communist parties at the national level, they often support a joint candidate for governor or mayor so that all parties are assured of being part of the ruling coalition. If the JCP did not offer a candidate, there would be a walkover and Japanese voters would be offered a fait accompli without an electoral avenue of protest. Promoting women candidates in elections to win women's votes is another characteristic of the party. More women are elected under the Communist label than other political parties in Japan." 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Policies

One of the JCP's main objectives is terminating the Japan-U.S. military alliance and the dismantling of all U.S. military bases in Japan. It wants to make Japan a non-aligned and neutral country, in accordance with its principles of self-determination and national sovereignty. (In Japan there are about 130 U.S. military bases and other related facilities, Okinawa having the largest U.S. military base in Asia). The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM is an international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. ... A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. ... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region or group of people, such as a nation or a tribe. ... This article is about the prefecture. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...

The JCP also strives to change the nation's economic policy of what it sees as serving the interests of large corporations and banks to one of "defending the interests of the people," and to establish "democratic rules" that will check the activities of large corporations and "protect the lives and basic rights of the people."

The JCP also opposes nuclear weapons and military blocs, and opposes any attempt to revise Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, which says that "never again …... [Japan] be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government" and declares that "sovereign power resides with the people." The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... The Constitution of Japan has the Article 9 No War clause. ...

Regarding the issue of the international economy, the JCP has advocated establishing a new international democratic economic order on the basis of respect for the economic sovereignty of each country. The JCP sees the United States, transnational corporations and international financial capital as pushing globalization, which, it says, is seriously affecting the global economy, including the monetary and financial problems, as well as North-South and environmental problems. The JCP advocates "democratic regulation of activities by transnational corporations and international financial capital on an international scale." To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The JCP has called for immediate changes in Japan's foreign policy. Regarding the resolution of disputes, it argues that priority must be given to peaceful means through negotiations, not to military solutions. The JCP says that Japan must adhere to the U.N. Charter. It also adheres to the idea that Japan as an Asian country must stop putting emphasis on diplomacy centering on relations with the United States and the G8 Summit, and put Asian diplomacy at the center of its foreign relations. It supports Japan establishing an "independent foreign policy in the interests of the Japanese people," and rejects "uncritically following any foreign power." It also advocates that Japan express remorse and apologies for its actions during World War II as a prerequisite for developing relations with the rest of Asia. Speaker truck in Shinjuku, photographed by Sekicho in 2000. ... Speaker truck in Shinjuku, photographed by Sekicho in 2000. ... The United Nations Charter is the constitution of the United Nations. ... The Group of Eight (G8) consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ...

The JCP stance on international terrorism is that only by "encircling the forces of terror through strong international solidarity with the United Nations at the center" can terrorism be eliminated. It argues that waging war as a response to terrorism "produces a rift and contradictions in international solidarity, which instead expands the breeding ground of terrorism." Terrorist redirects here. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ...

While the JCP was firmly against the imperial house both during all of the pre-war and most of the post-war era, it has recently said that it is not opposed to the Emperor remaining as Japan's head of state if he has no power and is only a figurehead. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan. ... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito. ...

Affiliated Organisations

Democratic Youth League of Japan (日本民主青年同盟, Nihon Minshu Seinen Domei), a political youth movement in Japan. ...

External links

Contents

History

Policies

Affiliated Organisations

External links

See also

Contents

History var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

Policies

Affiliated Organisations

External links

See also

History