Japan Press Weekly

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2014 November 26 - December 2 TOP3 [POLITICS]

80% of political parties disbanded after receiving public subsidies since 1995

In the past 20 years, about 80% of Japan’s political parties disbanded after obtaining party subsidies, Akahata reported on November 27.

The public funding system for political parties was introduced in 1995. As of the end of October, the total amount of public subsidies to political parties reached more than 623.6 billion yen. In the two decades, 35 political parties received the subsidies. Of them, 27 parties disbanded after changing their alliances with other parties over and over again.

To give the latest examples, defectors from the right-wing Japan Restoration Party (JRP) established the Party for Future Generations in October. Following that, the JRP dissolved and formed the Japan Innovation Party together with members of Yui no To (Unity Party). Meanwhile, the Your Party, which had called itself a “third pole” political force to challenge the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan, disbanded at the end of November.

The subsidies are basically given to each political party every year according to the number of their lawmakers are in office as of January 1. The grant system has spoiled Japan’s political parties by allowing them to obtain a considerable amount of money effortlessly.

The Japanese Communist Party has consistently refused to receive the party subsidies, arguing that the system infringes upon the freedom of thought and belief which is guaranteed under the Japanese Constitution.


Past related article:
> Parties, other than JCP, depend on state subsidies [November 30, 2013]