New Clean Government Party of Japan

Party President:	Kanzaki Takenori
Secretary General:	Fuyushiba Tetsuzo
Founded:	1998
Representatives	31
Councillors	24
Headquarters:	17 Minamimoto-machi Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0012 Japan This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...
Political ideology:	conservative and constitutional theocratic buddhist
Website:	New Clean Government Party of Japan

The New Clean Government Party (公明党, Kōmeitō) or NKP, often translated as "New Komeito Party", is a political party in Japan affiliated with the religious movement Soka Gakkai. It considers itself Japan's answer to Germany's CDU (although unlike the NKP, the German CDU is not affiliated with any particular religious organization). The present New Clean Government Party was formed as a result of a merger between the Clean Government Party (Former) and the New Peace Party on November 7, 1998. The New Komeito is widely understood to be the political arm of Soka Gakkai to achieve the aim of making Soka Buddhism the state religion of Japan and, ultimately, the world. Daisaku Ikeda, head of Soka Gakkai, is considered the de facto head of New Komeito. Ikeda has said that the purpose of Soka's political involvement is to institute "Obutsu Myogo," or "Buddhist democracy," or theocratic state. The party is a right-wing, conservative party, yet is a Buddhist democratic party as well. Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... Constitutional theocracy is a form of government in which within the context of a modern democracy a particular religion is granted a central role in the legal and political system. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... Soka Gakkai International or SGI is the umbrella organization for affiliate lay organizations in over 190 countries practicing a form of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Clean Government Party (明党) or CGP, -- known in Japanese as Komeito was a former political party in Japan. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 566 and 486 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia... Daisaku Ikeda Daisaku Ikeda (æ± ç”° 大作, born January 2, 1928) is the president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a Buddhist association of more than 12 million members in more than 190 countries and territories, and founder of several educational, cultural and research institutions. ... Constitutional theocracy is a form of government in which within the context of a modern democracy a particular religion is granted a central role in the legal and political system. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... Constitutional theocracy is a form of government in which within the context of a modern democracy a particular religion is granted a central role in the legal and political system. ...

The Party's mission is to pioneer "people-centered politics, a politics based on a humanitarianism that treats human life with the utmost respect and care" (New Komeito, 2002). Domestically, the Party proposals include reduction of the central government and bureaucracy, increased transparency in public affairs, and increased local (prefectural) autonomy with the private sector playing an increased role. With regard to Foreign Policy, the Party wishes to eliminate nuclear arms and armed conflict in general. In so doing, the party hopes to bring about the "dawn of a new civilization of mankind" (Ibid).

The New Komeito Party had a predecessor with a similar (though more to the left and very radical) ideology, but the current conservative, more moderate, party was formed in 1998, as noted, between a merger of the Clean Government Party and the New Peace Party. It supported the ruling Liberal Democrats and did well in the 2000 and 2001 Parliamentary elections. In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who holds an intermediate position between those generally classified as being left-wing, liberal, or socialist and those seen as being right-wing, conservative, or fundamentalist. ... The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), also known as Jiyū Minshutō (自由民主党, more often abbreviated to Jimin-tō 自民党) as of 2004, is the largest Japanese political party. ...

In the 2003 and 2004 Dietary elections, the New Komeito Party did well, thanks to an extremely committed and well -organised voter base in Soka Gakkai. As the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner, it is becoming a major political force in modern Japan.

Currently, the party is in a majority coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), so it effectively supported sending Japanese troops to Iraq in 2004.

The party shares its support base with the LDP, made up of white collar bureaucrats and rural populations, but also gains support from religious leaders.

However, July 27, 2005, New Komeito's secretary general said that his party would entertain forming a coalition government with the Democratic Party of Japan if, in a snap election, the DPJ took a majority in the House of Representatives. [1] On August 8, 2005, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi dissolved the Lower House and called for a general election, scheduled for September 11, due to the rejection of efforts to privatize Japan Post. July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Democratic Party of Japan (民主党, Minshutō) is a liberal party in Japan. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives... Junichiro Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi (小泉 純一郎 Koizumi Junichirō, born January 8, 1942) is a Japanese politician and current Prime Minister of Japan. ... The House of Representatives (衆議院; Shugi-in) is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. ... Logo Japan Post (日本郵政公社, Nippon YÅ«sei Kōsha) is a dominant postal and package delivery company in Japan. ...

See also

• Politics of Japan
• Japan
• Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
• Japan general election, 2003
• Clean Government Party (Former)
• Clean Government Political Assembly
• List of political parties in Japan

There is still dispute as to whether Japan is a constitutional monarchy or a republic. ... The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), also known as JiyÅ« Minshutō (自由民主党, more often abbreviated to Jimin-tō 自民党) as of 2004, is the largest Japanese political party. ... Incumbent Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi A general election took place in Japan on November 9, 2003. ... The Clean Government Party (明党) or CGP, -- known in Japanese as Komeito was a former political party in Japan. ... The Clean Government Political Assembly (CGPA) - otherwise known as the Komei Political Assembly, was a political party in Japan from 1961 to 1964. ... Political parties in Japan lists political parties in Japan. ...

External links

• New Clean Government Party of Japan

The official website of New Komeito. It has a very organized English section with history, policies, and party platforms. It has both an e-mail form and also an e-mail address.