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The National Diet of Japan is the name used in English to refer to the
national parliament of Japan, as a translation of the Japanese name Kokkai.
The word Diet is of Latin derivation, but came to be used in relation to
Japan because it was commonly used for a legislative body in mediaeval
Germany. Imperial Germany was the most influential model for the process of
modernization undertaken in Japan during the Meiji period.
The Diet was created under Meiji Constitution, which came into effect on
February 11, 1889, paving the way for the first meeting of the Diet in 1890.
The Diet was partly modeled on the Imperial German Reichstag, and partly on
the British Parliament. The Meiji Constitution created a bicameral
legislature, with an elected House of Representatives, and a House of Peers,
consisting of hereditary members. The latter was abolished in the postwar
democratic Constitution, and was replaced by the House of Councilors.
The Diet now consists of two elected houses:
- The House of Representatives (Shugi-in) has 480 members, elected for
four-year terms.
- The House of Councilors (Sangi-in) has 247 members.
The head of government is the Prime Minister, who must be a member of the
House of Representatives and is usually the leader of the largest party in
the House of Representatives. When the House of Councilors nominates a
different person as Prime Minister, a joint Committee of the two Houses is
formed to achieve a consensus between them.
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