Government of Japan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Government of Japan
日本国政府
Legislative branch
Seal of the Government
Polity type	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Constitution	Constitution of Japan
Name	National Diet
Meeting place	National Diet Building
Upper house
Name	House of Councillors
Lower house
Name	House of Representatives
Executive branch
Head of State
Title	Emperor
Currently	Naruhito
Head of Government
Title	Prime Minister
Currently	Yoshihide Suga
Appointer	Emperor
Cabinet
Name	Cabinet of Japan
Leader	Prime Minister
Appointer	Prime Minister
Headquarters	Prime Minister's Official Residence
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Japan
Seat	Chiyoda

The Government of Japan is the central government that runs the country of Japan. It works like a team with three main parts: the people who make laws, the people who carry out laws, and the people who make sure laws are fair. The government follows rules set by the Constitution of Japan.

Japan is a unitary state. This means it has one main central government for the whole country. It also has 47 smaller areas called administrative divisions. The Emperor of Japan is the country's Head of State, but his job is mostly ceremonial. He doesn't have power over the government.

Instead, the government is led by the Prime Minister of Japan. The Prime Minister is the main leader and chooses a group of ministers to form the Cabinet of Japan. The Cabinet is the part of the government that puts laws into action and manages the country's daily business.

How Japan's Government Works
- The Three Branches of Government
Images for kids
See also

How Japan's Government Works

Japan's government is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means:

It has an Emperor (monarchy), but his powers are limited by a written set of rules called the Constitution.
The main power is with the National Diet, which is like a parliament. The people elect its members.
The Prime Minister, who leads the government, is chosen by the National Diet.

The Three Branches of Government

Just like many other countries, Japan's government is divided into three main parts, called branches. Each branch has a different job to make sure power is balanced.

Making Laws: The Legislative Branch

The part of the government that makes laws is called the legislature. In Japan, this is the National Diet. It's a special kind of legislature because it has two houses:

The House of Councillors is the upper house.
The House of Representatives is the lower house.

People directly elect the members of both houses. The Constitution says the National Diet is the highest power in the country. This means the people, through their elected representatives, have the ultimate say in how the country is run.

Carrying Out Laws: The Executive Branch

The executive branch is the part of the government that carries out the laws. In Japan, this is mainly the Cabinet. The Cabinet is made up of the Prime Minister and other Ministers of State.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the Cabinet and is chosen by the National Diet. After being chosen, the Emperor officially appoints the Prime Minister. The Cabinet is responsible for directing and controlling the government and the country's public services.

Interpreting Laws: The Judicial Branch

The judicial branch is made up of the courts. Their job is to interpret laws and make sure they are fair. The highest court in Japan is the Supreme Court. There are also many other smaller courts.

The courts have the power to decide if laws follow the Japanese Constitution. This is called judicial review. It means they can check if a law is constitutional. Judges are independent, which means they are not controlled by the executive or legislative branches. This helps them make fair decisions. Judges are chosen or appointed by the Cabinet and can only be removed through a special process called impeachment if they do something seriously wrong.