Democratic Party of Japan

The Democratic Party of Japan (民主党) (DPJ) was a centrist party in Japan that operated between 1996 and 2016. It served as the only effective oppostion to the LDP during that time.

It merged with the Japan Innovation Party in March 2016 to form the Democratic Party.

History

Background in the Grand Coalition

In 1993, the LDP lost power for the first time since 1955. A grand coalition government formed under Morihiro Hosokawa (細川 護煕) in August 1993. But in June 1994, the LDP returned to power in coalition with the JSP and Sakigake. Several members of these two parties opposed the coalition.

1996 Formation

Ahead of the October 1996 general elections, members of the Japan Socialist Party and the New Party Sakigake left to form a new party that could more effectively oppose the LDP. The first leadership team saw co-leads under Yukio Hatoyama (鳩山 由紀夫) and Naoto Kan (菅 直人), both former members of the latter party.

The new Democratic Party of Japan won enough votes to become the second-largest opposition party, just after the New Frontier Party.

1998 Reformation

The two largest opposition parties, the DPJ and New Frontier Party, joined in 1998 under the former party's name. In 2003 the Liberal Party also joined. The highly-influential Ichirou Ozawa became party leaer after the merger.

A component of Ozawa's electoral strategy was running women in districts where the DPJ did not have an otherwise strong candidate. This boosted the social image of the party at large, and netted some surprise victories. This cohort of female Diet member's became known as Ozawa's Girls, in the same tradition as the Madonna Boom and the Koizumi Children.

Dissolution

Ahead of the 2016 House of Councillors elections, the DPJ merged with the Japan Innovation Party in March 2016 to form the Democratic Party.

Leadership

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