Japan Socialist Party

Japan Socialist Party
日本社会党
Nihon Shakai-tō
Leader
Founded2 November 1945; 80 years ago (1945-11-02)
Dissolved19 January 1996; 30 years ago (1996-01-19)
Succeeded bySocial Democratic Party
HeadquartersSocial & Cultural Center 1-8-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
NewspaperShakai Shimpō
Ideology
Political positionLeft-wing
International affiliationSocialist International
Colors  Blue
Party flag

The Japan Socialist Party (日本社会党, Nihon Shakai-tō, often shortened to JSP) was a major socialist and left-wing political party in Japan.

It was active from 1945 until 1996 and was the main opposition party to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for most of its existence.

History

Foundation

The party was founded on 2 November 1945 by members of pre-war socialist and labour parties.

In the 1947 Japanese general election, the JSP became the largest party and formed a coalition government with Tetsu Katayama as Prime Minister.

Split and reunification

The party split in 1951 into the Left Socialist Party and Right Socialist Party. They reunited in 1955. In the same year, the conservative parties merged to form the LDP.

Later period

The party suffered from internal divisions. In 1960, its chairman Inejiro Asanuma was assassinated by a right-wing youth during a televised election debate. This event shocked the nation and weakened the party.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the JSP performed well in many local elections. In 1986, Takako Doi became the first woman to lead a major Japanese political party. Under her leadership, the JSP had a strong result in the 1990 election.

In 1994, JSP leader Tomiichi Murayama became Prime Minister in a coalition government with the LDP. The party was renamed the Social Democratic Party in 1996.

Ideology

The JSP supported socialism, progressivism, and pacifism. It strongly defended Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. The party had both moderate democratic socialist and more radical revolutionary socialism factions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Akito Okada, ed. (2022). Japan's School Curriculum for The 2020s: Politics, Policy, and Pedagogy. Springer Nature. p. 14. ISBN 9789811920769. Generally speaking, the LDP is a conservative party spanning the right-wing, while the JSP was a left-wing, progressive party.
  2. 1 2 ブリタニカ国際大百科事典 小項目事典の解説 [The Encyclopædia Britannica: Micropædia's explanation]. kotobank.jp (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  3. ↑ Kapur, Nick (2018). Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674984424.
  4. 1 2 "Social Democratic Party of Japan". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

Bibliography