Liberal Party (Japan, 1998)

Former political party in Japan

Not to be confused with the Liberal Party (Japan, 1950), a predecessor of the Liberal Democratic Party, or the subsequently re-established left-liberal Liberal Party (Japan, 2016).

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Liberal Party
自由党

Jiyūtō

Leader| Ichirō Ozawa
Founders|

* Ichirō Ozawa
* Hirohisa Fujii

Founded| 1 January 1998
Dissolved| 26 September 2003
Split from| New Frontier Party
Merged into| Democratic Party of Japan
Political position| Centre-right[1]
International affiliation| Liberal International (observer)[2]
Colors|  Blue

* Politics of Japan
* Political parties
* Elections

This article is part of a series on

Liberalism in Japan

Principles

* Antimilitarism
* Civil and political rights
* Defensivism
* Due process
* Economic freedom
* Economic progressivism
* Environmentalism
* Equality before the law
* Freedom of the press
* Freedom of religion
* Freedom of speech
* Human rights
* Pacificism
* Popular sovereignty
* Rule of law
* Social justice
* Welfare state

History

* Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution
* Freedom and People's Rights Movement
* Humanity Declaration
* London Naval Treaty
* Meiji Restoration
* Taishō Democracy

People

* Abe
* Edano
* Fukuda
* Fukuzawa
* Genba
* Hamaguchi
* Hatoyama
* Hosokawa
* Ishibashi
* Itagaki
* Kan
* Maruyama
* Miki
* Minobe
* Ogawa
* Ozaki
* Renhō
* Wakatsuki

Parties

Active

* Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan

Former

* Aikoku Kōtō
* Constitutional Democratic Party
* Democratic Party (1996)
* Democratic Party (2016)
* Democratic Party of Japan
* Good Governance Party
* Japan New Party
* Kenseitō
* Liberal Party (1881)
* Liberal Party (1890)
* Liberal Party (1998)
* Liberal Party (2016)
* New Party Nippon
* New Party Sakigake
* Rikken Kokumintō

Organisations

* SEALDs

Media

Active

* Asahi Shimbun
* Chunichi Shimbun
* Kahoku Shimpō
* Mainichi Shimbun
* Sun Television
* TBS Holdings
* Tokyo Shimbun

Former

* Yorozu Chōhō

Related topics

* Politics of Japan
* Conservatism in Japan
* Progressive political parties

* Liberalism portal
* Japan portal

* v
* t
* e

The Liberal Party (自由党, Jiyū-tō) was a political party in Japan formed in 1998 by Ichirō Ozawa and Hirohisa Fujii. It is now defunct, having joined the Democratic Party of Japan in 2003.

The Liberal Party were part of the Japanese liberal parties genealogy, neoliberal[3] and neoconservative.[citation needed]

## History

[edit]

The Liberal Party was formed from remnants of the New Frontier Party after it dissolved in 1998. The party did do quite well for a new party, joining the opposition led by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and also including the New Kōmeitō, the Social Democratic Party and Japanese Communist Party, and thus helped contest elections against the ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

In January 1999, it formed a coalition with the ruling LDP under Keizō Obuchi.[4] Takeshi Noda as Minister for Home Affairs became its only member in the realigned Obuchi cabinet, later replaced by Toshihiro Nikai as Minister of Transportation. Later that year, the New Kōmeitō joined the coalition as well, and party president Ichirō Ozawa decided to lead the Liberal Party back into the opposition as he saw his party's position endangered.[5] However, some members of the coalition wanted to stay in the government and eventually formed the breakaway New Conservative Party.[6]

In October 2003, because of the upcoming election, the Liberal Party finally merged with the DPJ[7] and all its members joined the new party, making an influential grouping within the party. The DPJ did tremendously well, and Hirohisa Fujii became the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Japan, while Ichiro Ozawa led the Liberal Party faction within the DPJ. In 2016, the name was revived by Ozawa, on his renaming of the People's Life Party to the Liberal Party.

## Presidents of LP

[edit]

No.  | Name  | Image  | Term of office

|
|
|

Took office  | Left office
Preceding party: New Frontier Party
1  | Ichirō Ozawa |  | 1 January 1998  | 26 September 2003
Successor party: Democratic Party (1998)

## Election results

[edit]

### House of Representatives

[edit]

Election  | Leader  | Constituency  | Party list  | Total  | Position  | Status

|
|
|
|
|
|

Votes  | %  | Seats  | Votes  | %  | Seats
2000 | Ichirō Ozawa | 2,053,736  | 3.37  |

4 / 300

| 6,589,490  | 11.01  |

18 / 180

22 / 480

| 5th  | Opposition

### House of Councillors

[edit]

Election  | Leader  | Constituency  | Party list  | Seats  | Position  | Status

|
|
|
|
|
|

Votes  | %  | Seats  | +/-  | Votes  | %  | Seats  | +/-  | Election  | +/-  | Total  | +/-
1998 | Ichirō Ozawa | 980,249  | 1.75  |

1 / 76

| new | 5,207,813  | 9.28  |

5 / 50

| new |

6 / 126

| new |

12 / 252

|  6  | 5th  | Opposition
2001 | 3,011,787  | 5.54  |

2 / 73

|  1  | 4,227,148  | 7.72  |

4 / 48

|  1  |

6 / 121

|  |

8 / 247

|  4  | 5th  | Opposition

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jeff Kingston (2013). Japan in Transformation, 1945-2010. Routledge. p. 19\. ISBN 978-1-317-86192-8.
2. ^ "Facts & Figures". liberal-international.org. Liberal International. Archived from the original on October 8, 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2020. "Observer status 10. Jiyuto (Liberal Party)(Japan)"
3. ^ Ian Neary, ed. (2019). The State and Politics In Japan. John Wiley & Sons.
4. ^ "Obuchi puts happy face on minority coalition launch". The Japan Times. 1999-01-14. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
5. ^ "Liberal Party left in limbo after abandonment of bill". The Japan Times. 1999-12-15. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
6. ^ "Noda faction names party Conservative". The Japan Times. 2000-04-04. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
7. ^ "The Democratic Party of Japan". Democratic Party of Japan. 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-06.

* v
* t
* e

New Frontier Party (1994–1997)

Leaders|

* Kaifu
* Ozawa

Preceding parties|

*   * Japan Renewal Party
* Kōmeitō
* Democratic Socialist Party
* Japan New Party
* Liberal Reform League [ja] (Jiyū Kaikaku Rengō, ex-LDP faction)

Split parties|

*     * Sun Party
* From Five → Good Governance Party

Successor parties|

*     * New Fraternity Party
* Voice of the People → Democratic Party (1998)
*     * New Peace Party
* Reimei Club → New Komeito Party
* Liberal Party (1998)
* Reform Club [ja]

Authority control databases: National |

* Japan

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