Japan’s House of Representatives: Diet Members as the Supreme Organ of State Power
History and Electoral System
Roles and Terms
Legislation and Oversight
Japan's House of Representatives is the lower house of Japan's bicameral parliament, composed of Diet Members who are the representatives of the people. Since its establishment under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1890, it has functioned as the core of Japanese democracy. Members of the House of Representatives are elected through a combination of a single-member district system (289 seats) and a proportional representation system (176 seats) in order to quickly and accurately reflect the diverse voices of the people in national politics, and a total of 465 members are active in the House of Representatives.
The term of office for members of the House of Representatives is set at four years, but if the Prime Minister disbands the House of Representatives, they will lose their qualifications as Diet Members before their term expires, and a general election will be held immediately. Due to this dissolution system, the House of Representatives is positioned as an institution that dynamically reflects the latest will of the people. The right to vote is given to all Japanese citizens over the age of 18, and the right to be elected as a Diet Member is limited to those over the age of 25.
Additionally, the House of Representatives has strong authority over the House of Councillors, which is known as ``Supremacy of the House of Representatives.'' For example, the Diet Members of the House of Representatives hold the most important authority to determine Japan's future, including the right to vote first on the national budget, the right to vote of no confidence in the cabinet, the approval of treaties, and the right to repass a bill by two-thirds or more when there is disagreement between both houses. Furthermore, the resolution of the House of Representatives takes precedence in the nomination of the Prime Minister. This archive provides detailed data, career history, and party affiliation information for all 465 Diet Members of the House of Representatives, providing highly transparent information to voters.
