National Diet

From Conservapedia

U.S. President George W Bush adresses the National Diet on 19 February 2002, thanking Japan and its people for their post-9/11 support. "We were grateful, so very grateful, for the condolences and compassion of the Japanese people and the Japanese government," said the President during his address. "This is a gesture of friendship my nation will never forget."

The National Diet of Japan is the English name used to refer to the National Parliament of Japan (国会 Kokkai). The name "Diet" is derived from Latin and was commonly used for a legislative body in medieval Germany. It use in Japan came about because Imperial Germany was the most influential model for the process of modernization undertaken in Japan during the post–Meiji Restoration period.

The Meiji Constitution, which was signed into effect on 11 February, 1889, allowed for the creation of what was then called The Imperial Diet (the name lasted until 1947). The Diet's first meeting was held on 29 November, 1890.

The Diet is a bicameral legislature, with an elected House of Representatives (衆議院 Shūgi-in), with 480 members who serve four-year terms and a House of Councilors (参議院 Sangi-in), with 247 members, who serve three-year terms. The majority of members of the Diet are elected by the Japanese people, but seats in both Houses are also allocated on a system of proportional representation.

The House of Councilors replaced the House of Peers, which consisted of hereditary members of the aristocracy, much like Britain's House of Lords and which was abolished in the post-War Constitution of Japan.

The head of government is the Prime Minister, who must be a member of the House of Representatives and is usually the leader of the largest party in that House.

External Links

• House of Councilors
• House of Representatives