House of Representatives of Japan 217778 217373149 2008-06-05T19:21:44Z George Adam Horváth 3132086 {{Infobox Legislature | name = Japanese House of Representatives<br> 衆議院 <br> ''Shūgiin'' | coa_pic = | coa-pic = | session_room = The Diet.jpg | house_type = Lower house | leader1_type = Speaker of the House | leader1 = [[Yohei Kono]] | party1 = [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|LDP]] | election1 = | election2 = [[11 September]] [[2005]] | members = 480 | p_groups = [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|LDP]] <br> [[Democratic Party of Japan|DPJ]] <br> [[New Komeito Party|NKP]] <br> [[Japanese Communist Party|JCP]] <br> [[Social Democratic Party (Japan)|SDP]] <br> [[People's New Party|PNP]] <br> [[New Party Nippon|NPN]] <br> [[New Party Daichi|NPD]] | meeting_place = [[National Diet Building]], [[Tokyo]] | website = [http://www.shugiin.go.jp/index.nsf/html/index_e.htm www.shugiin.go.jp/index.nsf/html/index_e.htm] }} {{Politics of Japan}} The {{nihongo|'''House of Representatives'''|衆議院|Shūgiin}} is the [[lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]]. The [[House of Councillors]] of [[Japan]] is the [[upper house]]. The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for four-year terms. Of these, 180 are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by [[proportional representation]], and 300 are elected from single-member constituencies. The House of Representatives is the more powerful of the two houses, able to override [[veto]]es on bills imposed by the House of Councillors with a two-thirds majority. It can be dissolved by the [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]] at will, as it was by [[Junichiro Koizumi]] on [[August 8]], [[2005]], due to a division within his [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]]. == Right to vote and candidature == * Japanese nationals aged 20 years and older may vote. * Japanese nationals aged 25 years and older may run for office in the lower house. == Differences between the Upper and Lower Houses == The House of Representatives has several powers not given to the House of Councillors. If a bill is passed by the [[lower house]] (the House of Representatives) but is voted down by the [[upper house]] (the [[House of Councillors]]) the House of Representatives can override the decision of the other chamber by a two-thirds vote in the affirmative. However, in the case of [[treaties]], the [[budget]], and the selection of the prime minister, the House of Councillors can only delay passage, but not block the legislation. As a result, the House of Representatives is considered the more powerful house. Members of the House of Representatives, who are elected to a maximum of four years, sit for a shorter term than members of the [[House of Councillors]], who are elected to full six-year terms. The lower house can also be dissolved by the Prime Minister or the passage of a nonconfidence motion, while the House of Councillors cannot be dissolved. Thus the House of Representatives is considered to be more sensitive to public opinion, and is termed the "lower house". The term "lower house" is also a legacy of the [[1889]] [[Meiji Constitution]], when the [[House of Peers]] functioned as an [[aristocratic]] upper house in a format similar to the [[House of Lords]] in the [[Westminster system]], or the [[Reichsrat]] in the [[Prussia]]n-based [[Germany|German]] government of the time. == Latest election result == {{main|Japan general election, 2005}} {{Japanese general election, 2005}} [[Image:House of Representatives of Japan - by Party (EN).svg|thumb|300px|House of Representatives of Japan by Party]] == See also == * [[List of Districts of the House of Representatives of Japan]] == External links == * [http://www.shugiin.go.jp/index.nsf/html/index_e.htm House of Representatives Website (in English)] - Official site of the House of Representatives [[Category:Government of Japan]] [[Category:National lower houses|Japan]] [[Category:Diet of Japan]] [[ast:Cámara de representantes de Xapón]] [[de:Shūgiin]] [[es:Cámara de Representantes de Japón]] [[fr:Chambre des représentants du Japon]] [[ko:중의원]] [[id:Majelis Rendah Jepang]] [[it:Camera dei Rappresentanti del Giappone]] [[hu:Képviselőház (Japán)]] [[nl:Lagerhuis (Japan)]] [[ja:衆議院]] [[pl:Izba Reprezentantów (Japonia)]] [[pt:Casa dos Representantes do Japão]] [[fi:Japanin alahuone]] [[uk:Палата Представників Японії]] [[zh:日本众议院]]