Democratic Party (Japan, 1947)

Democratic Party
日本民主党
Nihon Minshutō
FoundersInukai Takeru
Hitoshi Ashida
FoundedMarch 31, 1947 (1947-03-31)[1][2][3]
DissolvedApril 28, 1950 (1950-04-28)[4]
Preceded byJapan Progressive Party[2]
Succeeded byNational Democratic Party[4]
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
IdeologyConservatism[5]
Revisionist capitalism[2][5]
Anti-bureaucratism[5]

The Democratic Party (Japanese: 民主党, Hepburn: Minshutō), officially 日本民主党 (lit.'Japan Democratic Party') was a conservative political party in Japan.[5]

History

The party was founded in spring 1947 by merging the Progressive Party (Shinpo-tō) of Inukai Takeru with a faction of Liberal Party led by Hitoshi Ashida and obtained 124 seats in 1947 elections. The party had held seven seats in Tetsu Katayama's government in 1947-1948. For some months in 1948, party's leader Ashida was Prime minister.

In March 1948, part of DP members led by Kijūrō Shidehara joined the Liberal Party to form the Democratic Liberal Party. In 1949 elections, the DP got 69 seats. The party was finally merged with the National Cooperative Party to form the National Democratic Party in April 1950.

Election results

House of Representatives

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/- Position Status
1947 Hitoshi Ashida 6,960,270 25.44
124 / 468
new 3rd Governing coalition
1949 Takeru Inukai 4,798,352 15.68
69 / 466
Decrease 55 4th Opposition

House of Councillors

Election Leader Constituency Party list Seats Position Status
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
1947 Ishiguro Takeshige 2,989,132 13.56
22 / 150
1,508,087 7.09
6 / 100
30 / 250
2nd Governing coalition

References

  1. ^ Awaya 1983, p. 349.
  2. ^ a b c Kanda 1983, p. 238.
  3. ^ Uno 1991, p. 1092.
  4. ^ a b Kanda 1983, p. 355.
  5. ^ a b c d 世界大百科事典 第2版の解説 [The Heibonsha World Encyclopedia (2nd ed.) 's explanation]. kotobank.jp (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved December 21, 2020.

Further reading