Party for Japanese Kokoro

Party for Japanese Kokoro
日本のこころ
Leader Kyoko Nakayama
Secretary-General Masashi Nakano
Councillors leader Kyōko Nakayama
Founded 1 August 2014 (2014-08-01)
Split from Japan Restoration Party
Headquarters 1-11-28 Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0014, Japan
Ideology Japanese nationalism[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Japanese neoconservatism[7]
Political position Right-wing[8] to Far-right[8][9]
Colors Pale pink
Councillors
3 / 242
Representatives
0 / 475
Website
http://nippon-kokoro.jp/

The Party for Japanese Kokoro (日本のこころ, Nippon no Kokoro, "Japan's heart"), 日本のこころを大切にする党 (Nippon no Kokoro wo Taisetsu ni Suru Tō) until 7 February 2017, is a Japanese political party. It was formed as the Party for Future Generations (次世代の党, Jisedai no Tō) on 1 August 2014 by a group of Diet members led by Shintarō Ishihara. The party adopted its current name in December 2015.[10][11]

History

Formation

The Japan Restoration Party was formed in 2012 and was led by Tōru Hashimoto and Ishihara. In May 2014 Hashimoto and Ishihara announced that the party had agreed to split due to disagreement over a merger with another opposition party, the Unity Party.[12] Ishihara's faction left the JRP to form the Party for Future Generations, which registered as a party on 1 August 2014.[13] Takeo Hiranuma was chosen as the party's leader and he appointed Hiroshi Yamada as Secretary-General and Ishihara as chief advisor.

Party for Future Generations (2014–2015)

Logo of the original Party for Future Generations

The party suffered a near-wipeout at the 47th general election in December 2014, collapsing from 19 seats in the House of Representatives to just two, with Hiranuma and party advisor Hiroyuki Sonoda the only two of the party's 48 candidates to win a seat.[14] Senior party members who lost their seat included Ishihara, Yamada and policy committee chairman Hiroshi Nakada.[14] The party received 2.65% of the proportional representation vote, just clearing the 2% minimum required to ensure continued existence as an official party within the Diet.[14] Ishihara announced his retirement from politics two days after the election.[15]

Party for Japanese Kokoro (2015–)

Following Hiranuma and Sonoda's defection from the party back to the LDP, Kyoko Nakayama was elected unopposed as party leader on 28 August 2015 and officially started a two-year term from 1 October.[16] Secretary-General Shigefumi Matsuzawa initially intended to contest the leadership vote and maintain the party's "unbiased" stance towards the ruling LDP, as opposed to Nakayama wanting to work with the government.[17] Rather than force a vote that would split the party, Matsuzawa instead chose to resign and sit as an independent;[18] his resignation was accepted at the 28 August meeting and Masamune Wada replaced him as Secretary-General.[16]

Policies

The policies are "a mix of conservative security policies, stricter immigration laws and advocacy of traditional values on the one hand, and 'liberalism' in economic areas on the other, such as pursuing regulatory reform."[7]

Members

At the time of the party's name change in December 2015, it had five members in the House of Councillors in the national Diet. Katsuhiko Eguchi opposed the name change and joined the Initiatives from Osaka party, leaving the party with four members in the national parliament.[11] In April 2016 Kazuyuki Hamada, the only party member facing re-election in the summer 2016 House of Councillors election, resigned from the party to join Initiatives from Osaka.[19] In November 2016 Wada left the party and joined the LDP's parliamentary group within the House of Councillors, but did not officially join the LDP.[20]

Current Diet members

In October 2015 the party had a further eight members in regional assemblies.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Ruling denying welfare for foreign residents finds homegrown, biased support The Japan Times. 17 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Clint Richards (17 October 2014). "Japanese Nationalists Target Foreign Welfare Recipients". The Diplomat.
  3. ↑ Nadeem Shad (14 December 2014). "Japan’s Back and So Is Nationalism". The Diplomat.
  4. ↑ "Ex-Tokyo Gov. Ishihara likely to lose Diet seat". The Japan Times. 14 December 2014.
  5. ↑ Yuriko Nagano (14 December 2014). "Japan's Abe wins mandate in downbeat election". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ↑ Masamichi Iwasaka (11 December 2014). "2014 Japanese Elections". Politika Akademisi.
  7. 1 2 Mie, Ayako (July 24, 2014). "Ishihara’s new party embraces ‘neoconservative’ policies". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Liu Tian; Feng Wuyong (2 December 2014). "News Analysis: Japan's LDP may see "unpopular victory" as opposition camp split, electoral system twisted". Xinhuanet.
  9. ↑ Tomohiro Osaki; Shusuke Murai; Eric Johnston (14 December 2014). "LDP clinches hollow victory as opposition options elude". The Japan Times.
  10. ↑ "次世代 党名を「日本のこころを大切にする党」に" [Party for Future Generations changes name to Nihon no Kokoro wo Taisetsu ni Suru Tou] (in Japanese). 21 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  11. 1 2 Aoki, Mizuho (21 December 2015). "Tiny Japanese political party takes new name in bid to reverse its fortunes". Japan Times. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Yoshida, Reiji; Mie, Ayako (28 May 2014). "Hashimoto, Ishihara to break up Nippon Ishin; opposition realignment seen accelerating". Japan Times. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 "「誰が国会で慰安婦問題を聞くの？」　次世代の党、存続の危機…首相の政権運営にも影" ["Who will ask Diet questions about the comfort women issue?" Party for Future Generations' existence in danger, casts shadow on PM's administration]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 21 December 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "石原慎太郎氏が政界引退　「さばさばした気持ち」" [Shintaro Ishihara to retire from politics: "relieved feeling"]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 16 December 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  16. 1 2 "次世代の党、中山恭子新党首を選出　松沢氏の離党了承" [Party for Future Generations elects Kyoko Nakayama as new leader, accepts Matsuzawa's resignation]. Nikkei 28 August 2015 (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "松沢、中山氏が意欲表明　次世代党首選、一本化を調整" [Matsuzawa and Nakayama express interest in Future Generations leadership, will discuss agreement]. Sankei Simbun (in Japanese). 26 August 2015. Archived from the original on 30 August 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  18. ↑ "次世代・松沢氏が離党届　「路線の違い」無所属の意向" [Future Generations' Matsuzawa submits resignation over "different tracks", considering independent]. Sankei Simbun (in Japanese). 27 August 2015. Archived from the original on 29 August 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "こころ・浜田和幸参院議員、おおさか維新入党へ" [Kokoro's Councillor Hamada to join Initiatives from Osaka] (in Japanese). Yomiuri Shimbun. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  20. ↑ "和田政宗参院議員が自民会派入り　参院に届け出" [Councillor Masamune Wada joins submits papers to join LDP group]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 21 November 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  21. ↑ "議員一覧" [List of Representatives]. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
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