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.

History

Ahead of the 1996 general elections, members of the Japan Socialist Party and the New Party Sakigake broke away to found the Democratic Party of Japan. The party was co-leds under Yukio Hatoyama and Naoto Kan (菅 直人), both former members of the latter party.

The new 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.

Government

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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