Liberalism in Japan

Liberalism

Development History of liberalism Contributions to liberal theory
Ideas Political liberalism Political freedom Cultural liberalism Democratic capitalism Democratic education Economic liberalism Free trade Individualism Laissez faire Liberal democracy Liberal neutrality Negative / positive liberty Market economy Open society Popular sovereignty Rights (individual) Separation of church and state Harm principle Permissive society
Variants Anarcho-liberalism Classical Conservative Democratic Green Libertarianism Market National Neoliberalism Ordoliberalism Paleoliberalism Radicalism Religious liberalism Social
People John Locke Adam Smith Adam Ferguson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine Alexis de Tocqueville David Hume Baron de Montesquieu Jeremy Bentham Milton Friedman Thomas Malthus Václav Havel Wilhelm von Humboldt Frederic Bastiat John Stuart Mill Thomas Hill Green Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse John Maynard Keynes Bertrand Russell Ludwig von Mises Friedrich Hayek Isaiah Berlin Joel Feinberg John Rawls Robert Nozick David Laws
Organizations Liberal parties Liberal International International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) Africa Liberal Network (ALN) Liberal Network for Latin America (Relial)

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This article gives an overview of liberalism in Japan. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, proved by having had representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary that parties labelled themselves `liberal`.

1 Introduction
2 The timeline
3 Liberal leaders
4 References
5 See also

Introduction

In reaction to traditional society a liberal current formed in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century 'liberal' became gradually a synonym for conservative and the main conservative party is named Liberal Democratic Party (Jiyu Minshuto). The Democratic Party (Minshuto) is a left of center liberal, social democratic party. The liberal character of the Liberal League (Jiyu Rengo) is disputed, it is also considered to be conservative party.

The timeline

From Public Society of Patriots until Constitutional Politics Party

1874: Liberals founded the Public Society of Patriots (Aikoku Koto)
1881: The Aikoku Koto is continued by the Liberal Party (Jiyu-to)
1891: The Jiyuto is renamed into Constitutional Liberal Party (Rikken Jiyuto)
1898: The Constitutional Liberal Party merged with the ⇒ Progressive Party into the Constitutional Politics Party (Kenseito)
1898: A faction seceded as the ⇒ Constitutional Center Party
1900: The party is taken over by the oligarchy and renamed into Constitutional Political Friends Association (Rikken Seiyukai)

From Constitutional Progressive Party to Reform Club

1882: The Constitutional Progressive Party (Rikken Kaishinto) is formed
1896: The party is continued by the 'Progressive Party (Shinpoto)
1898: The party merged into the Constitutional Politics Party (Kenseito)
1898: This party fell apart and a faction of the Kenseito formed the Constitutional Center Party (Kensei Honto), renamed in 1910 into the Constitutional National Party (Rikken Kokuminto)
1913: A faction seceded as the ⇒ Constitutional Friendship Association
1922: The Constitutional National Party is renamed Reform Club (Kakushin Kurabu)
1920s: The Reform Club merged into the Constitutional Political Friends Association

From Constitutional Friendship Association to Constitutional People's Party

1913: A faction of the ⇒ Constitutional National Party formed the Constitutional Friendship Association (Rikken Doshikai), renamed Constitutional Association (Kenseikai) in 1916
1927: The Constitutional Association merged with the ⇒ Political Friends Center Party into the Constitutional People's Party (Rikken Minseito)
1940: The party is dissolved by the regime

Political Friends Center Party

1924: A faction of the Constitutional Political Friends Association formed the Political Friends Center Party (Seiyu Honto)
1927: The party merged into the ⇒ Constitutional People's Party

From Renewal Party to Liberal Party (1993)

1993: A liberal faction of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (Jiyu-Minshuto) seceded as the Renewal Party (Shinseito)
1994: The Renewal Party merged with other factions into the New Frontier Party (Shinshinto)
1997: The New Frontier Party fell apart into many parties, among them since 1998 the Liberal Party (Jiyuto), but also the Good Governance Party (Minseito), the New Fraternity Party (Shinto-Yuai) and the Democratic Reform Party (Minshu-Kaikaku-Rengo)
2000: Dissidents of the Liberal Party formed the New Conservative Party (Hoshuto)
2003: The Liberal Party merged into the ⇒ Democratic Party of Japan

New Party Harbinger

1993: A liberal faction of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (Jiyu-Minshuto) seceded as the New Party Harbinger (Shinto Sakigake)
1996: Most members co-found the ⇒ Democratic Party of Japan
1998: The party evolved in conservative direction, renamed into Harbinger (Sakigake) and further renamed in 2002 into Green Assembly (Midori No Kaigi)

Democratic Party of Japan

1996: Dissidents from the ⇒ New Party Harbinger and the Social Democratic Party of Japan formed the Democratic Party of Japan (Nihon Minshuto)
1998: The party merged with the Good Governance Party (Minseito), the New Fraternity Party (Shinto-Yuai) and the Democratic Reform Party (Minshu-Kaikaku-Rengo) under the name Democratic Party of Japan (Nihon Minshuto, 民主党)
2003: The ⇒ Liberal Party merged into the party

Liberal leaders

Itagaki Taisuke - Hamaguchi Osachi

References

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