Japan (From Sea to Shining Sea)

Japan, officially the People's Republic of Japan (PR of Japan), is a socialist state in East Asia. The PR of Japan was proclaimed in October 18, 1953 as the Japanese Workers' and Peasants' Democratic State ending the existence of Imperial Japan.

Revolutionary Turmoil and Triumph (1953-1965)
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1953) saped raw material reserves, food, and labor from Japan. Foreign aid given by the Western Powers to China gives it the needed resources to turn around many times disaster. Tough Japan the coastal areas it finds difficult to control it due to the uncompromising Chinese military and civilian resistance. Every square kilometer conquered is more trouble for Japanese armies. The long war and its consequences begin to fall in the Homeland. At first random and spontaneous food riots, later large peasant rebellions that are swiftly squashed. Industrial unrest begins to spread into the key factories that feed the war machinery. The de facto military government was strained between different factions in either continuing with war on China, or repelling the Allies in the Pacific.

A series of defeats of the Army and Navy prompted public discontent with major unrest. The general strike in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and its brutal crackdown started openly revolution. In the said cities, workers and citizens established revolutionary committed and called to end the war, disband the Imperial Army, return to parliamentary rule, end of rationing and censorship. Has the government threw more troops to suppress uprisings in major cities, agitation grew in the countryside and famine threw the peasants in rebellion. Several months of chaos in the rural areas. Loyal units also began to fight also among themselves over the control of the Imperial Cabinet repelled a storming of the imperial Palace by discontent army units. Under the artillery fire the Imperial household was hit, killing the Emperor and most of senior members of the Cabinet. The death of Emperor and the ongoing chaos and power vacuum stopped all military actions in China and troops shipped back to Japan against orders. Several units shot their commanding officers and declared for the revolution. The returning soldiers fraternized with workers and peasants. The ideas of Republicanism and Socialism began take hold as the old order savagely lingered to power.

The final battle of Tokyo leads to the triumph of the revolutionaries and the Democratic People's Republic of Japan is proclaimed ending the Japanese Civil War (1952-1953).

After seventeen years of war the Treaty of Shanghai (November 1958) ended the war on China and the rest of Asia. Peace terms were relatively generous for Japan. The main clauses were the withdrawal of Japanese forces, already fulfilled by the return of soldiers to the Homeland in the beginning of the Revolution. The Imperial Navy withdraw to Japanese ports rather than be captured by the Allies or scuttled them if unable to return. The disarmament was not followed has each fighting side in Japan requisition weapons for its needs. The confiscation of all assets owned by the Japanese government, firms, organization and private citizens, were considered part of the war reparations.

During the revolution most territories of the former Japanese Empire had either become independent (Korea and Philippines) or were annexed by China (Kwantung, Taiwan and Manchuria). Occupied territories returned to the allies (Guam, Samoa and French Polynesia).

The external territories (gaichi) of Karafuto, Ryukyu Islands, Nan'yō (South Seas Islands), Bonin Islands, Kuril Islands were kept. In 1954, Hawaii's majority Japanese population voted in a referendum its incorporation to the Homeland with full rights becoming a national region.

A new alliance was set up between United American and Japan: the "Communist League". Japan. However, sharp ideological differences with United America, would lead to the Japanese-American split in 1960s.

The nationalization of the means of production was easily carried out do to the monopolistic control of industrial and financial businesses by the zaibatsu. Land reform and collectivization were zealously implemented and production distributed between cooperatives and state farms.

The triumphant revolutionaries, but more specifically the communists called for the union of all revolutionaries under One Banner, that is to say the creation of a single party. Therefore, in December 1953 the Workers and Farmers Party (Rōnōtō) was formed from the existing communist, socialist, christian socialist, pacifists parties and groups. The merger was done willfully, others under pressured or coerced by the communist and the more radical elements of the People's Councils. In its first congress, it elected Sanzō Nosaka (Communist) as Secretary General. The Rōnōtō became the hegemonic and sole governing party until its dissolution in 1967. In the elections for the National Diet, Rōnōtō easily secured large majorities, followed in a great distance by the other democratic parties that were allowed to register.

Friendly relations with United America proved short-lived, as Nosaka's authoritarian style and brutal crackdown on political dissent was unpopular with most Americans and their government. Under Nosaka's guidance a campaign to root out the four evils: militarism, feudalism, chauvinism and traditionalism, was carried out. The officers of the Imperial Army and Navy were brought to revolutionary trails with many sentenced to death, former bureaucrats and state officials purge, sent to trial o re-education camps, symbols of the four evils were burned or torn down. The official cult of the Emperor was denounced, etc.

In the 1950s-1960s, the failure of the Chinese Revolution and its Civil War, and Korea being ruled by reactionary military junta bought a surge of refugees to Japan further pushing to the limits the already rationed economy and limited social services capacity of the Japanese. The newly arrived refugees also took part in rebuilding Japan and opening local culture to the outside of the home islands. Exiled Koreans and Chinese communities kept their language, customs and culture. The I and II National Economic Plans (1954-1959 and 1960-1965) were centered around post war industrial recovery of the heavy industry, energy production, allocation of resources, public works, and the collectivization of agriculture. The sudden surge of refugees added housing in the II National Economic Plan as a priority. Not all the goals of the I Plan were accomplished and idea of self-reliance on natural and manufactured goods was abandoned and reoriented to importations from United America.

Major earthquakes were the ones of 1961, 1963 (Kuril Islands) and 1964.

Transition (1965-1967)
The death of Sanzō Nosaka, President of the State Council 1954-1965, marked the end of the authoritarian and undemocratic rule of the WFP.

Sota Kita, Nosaka's designated successor and also General Secretary of the WFP and party hardliner was forced to step down from all his governmental and party posts as the majority of the Plenary of Central Committee in 1965 disapproved a continuation of the authoritarian rule, lack of party democracy and the prospect of new purges as in the 1950s.

The political report of Kenji Miyamoto to the congress of the WFP in 1966 on the authoritarian practices and cult of personality of Sanzō Nosaka shocked the delegates as it was widely know but no officially recognized and disapproved.

It also started the process of dissolution of the WFP in 1967 into its four main factions: Japanese Communist Party, Japanese Socialist Party, Socialist Masses Party (Bridge or Dialogue Group) and Japan Proletarian Party (Change Group).

In 1960 Japan detonated its first atomic bomb, followed in 1962 by its first hydrogen bomb test detonation. Both test were carried in the atolls of Nan'yō. The H-bomb provided a deterrent for Japan in the growing Asian unrest of the 1960s. However, in 1969 Japan officially declared that its nuclear arsenal acted only has defensive measure and that it would collaborate to control and prevent the spread of nuclear proliferation in Asia and Oceania.

The preliminary work of the III National Economic Plan was redone on the death of Nosaka and control of reformists and centrist groups of the WFP. The III National Economic Plan (1966-1971), tough not abandoning the heavy industry as its priority, set goals in the production of consumer goods and the improvement of the food industry, agriculture and fisheries. The III Plan also began to decentralize decision making from the previous iron grip of the Ministry of Development and Planning and various central bodies that had produced internal deadlocks in the past.

Tenkō (Change of Direction, 1967-1979)
Mosaburō Suzuki, General Secretary of the Japan Proletarian Part and Prime Minister (1969-1976) began the Tenkō (Change of Direction) were several economic, political and social reforms were enacted. For example, the political partisanship of the judiciary was prohibited and the law courts were independent and protected of the influence and power of state authorities. A new and controversial Citizenship Law was enacted allowing Chinese and Koreans that emigrated in the 1950 gain full citizenship.

Official policy to fulfill demands of consumer goods marked a shift in industrial production that marked the start of successful electronic and chemical industries. Relationships with Korea and China were reestablished, at first with trade agreements and later treaties that settled most post-war settlements. The cultural exchange programs also open up travel of Japanese citizens to the neighboring countries, tough restrictions on Chinese and Korean descends were kept for some time.

In tune with the end of cultural censorship, the Ministry of Culture was established with the end of promoting traditional art forms, foreign cultural exchange, a new network of open cultural centers and museums. It also open musical distribution and production to cooperatives closing the official state company.

A liberation of culture and social mores characterized this period. For example women smoking in public became common. Several measures that restricted their entry to the workforce and education were ended. Birth control and contraception became widely available. The distinction of men's and women's trade unions was legally ended. Equal pay and welfare benefits for women became an important issue in negotiations with workplace administration.

The Central Department Stores were allowed to open branches in the same cities and the option to change from state-owned to a worker owned-cooperative. Licenses for cooperatives to run department stores were also opened.

From the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan launched its first space satellite, first manned orbital flight and first space probe to the moon.

Members of the right-wing faction of the Socialist Party split from it to establish the Democratic Socialist Party (1975). The first political right camp parties are formed by former members of the Constitutional Democratic Party (1953-1976) ending the collaboration of the democratic right with the left camp parties: Democratic Reform Party (1970 to date) and National Democratic Party (1975 to date).

The IV and V National Economic Plans (1971-1975 and 1976-1982) not abandoning altogether industrial development, called for the expansion of the educational and scientific output and the promotion of new technological industries as mean to improve production and quality of industrial and consumer goods. The dependency on foreign oil and coal called for an extensive nuclear energy program to a planned 60% of national power production in the two plans. The V Plan started the trend of giving economic incentives for the development of industry and infrastructure, like the fast train network and nuclear power.mm

Major earthquakes were the Hyūga-nada and Tokachi earthquakes of 1968, 1974 and 1978.

Stabilization and Change (1979-1994)
The death of Mosaburō Suzuki (1976) and the National Diet elections of 1979 marked the end of the hurtle of reforms. His successor Reina Fujioka (1976-1984) continued with reforms but in a more slow pace trend and prioritizing on the economic, financial and educational sectors. The need of stable governments also stopped the reforms, as the elections of 1979 and 1984 gave the no clear majority to the JCP and the Proletarian Party.

The election of Kumiko Itou as president of the State Council marked a return to reforms. Under her leadership a new the Citizenship and Resident Law was passed allowing no Japanese living for at least 10 year were to gain citizenship and political rights and eased the register of Korean and Japanese names. A decree of the State Council elevated Nan'yō to national region in 1978.

However, no major social experiments or reforms were taken in large scale. The educational system was the only field were new social experiences were widely out carried out, especially in teacher training, school services and curricula reform.

A source of great pride for Japanese society came in the breakthroughs of space exploration. The investment of the previous decade enable to put a permanent space station orbiting Earth. The facilities of Kauaʻi Space Center of Hawaii were expended becoming the Pacific's largest spaceport.

The Socialist Masses Party is dissolved in 1985 after its electoral fall in the National Diet elections of 1984. The Social Labour Union is founded in 1991 by a merger of the Japan Proletarian Party, and New Left, feminist and emigrant groups.

The VI and VII National Economic Plans (1983-1989 and 1990-1994) as in the previous two plans focused in education, technology, and nuclear power. The VI Plan ended production quotas, only mandate moving average production, and centered in the distribution of goods and services. As in the V Plan, incentives were also given to the banking and financial institutions as indicators of planned output of production, distribution or consumption.

Major earthquakes were the ones of 1983, 1984, 1993 and 1994 (offshore Sanriku and Kuril Islands).

The Opening (1994-2006)
By 1994, Japan began a series of economic reforms to incorporate aspects of capitalism (or self-regulatory economic mechanisms as it was called) into its economy. Japan's economy partially recovered with the end of the planned economy, but did not fully recover because of international economic crisis that also hit Japan as it began its opening to foreign trade.

Hikari Yoshida's premiership (1992-2006) pushed for several economic reforms under his program Lets Share Our Wealth. However, in some parts of the society, it would cause impoverishment. Tough, the blatant consumerism it promoted would be criticized along with the lack of improvement in social welfare.

The Opening also signaled that under President Ichiro Katou Japan would establish a more permanent and peaceful relationship with her neighbors. The Shanghai Charter established the East Asian Community with Japan as one of its members.

An example of the consumerist policies of the Opening was the urban renewal of Ginza District that made it a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants, private clubs and coffeehouses located in its vicinity.

The VIII National Economic Plan (1995-2005), besides being long in its implementation was more indicative and goal driven. Foreign trade was took as key indicator for a number of industries. The service sectors were given indicative goals in quality and availability.

Major earthquakes were the ones of 1995, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005 (two) and 2006 (Kuril Islands)

Later history (2006 to date)
The premiership of Honoka Matsuoka (2006-2014) returned to distributive policies that were abandoned by her previous predecessor.

Currently, Japan has a rapidly growing economy, and in just less than twenty years has pushed millions of citizens out of poverty and repaired most of the Japanese infrastructure. Japan has the world's third largest economy, and is expected to surpass China by the 2050s.

The IX and X National Economic Plans (2005-2015, 2015-2025) called for improvements in the electronic and computational infrastructure. It also prioritized improvements on the the national health system and care of old age. Both plans also called for the development and of production of renewable energy sources.

Major earthquakes were the ones of 2007 (two and Kuril Islands), 2008, 2009, 2010 (two), 2011 (record six), 2012 (two), 2013, 2015, 2016 (three), 2018 (two).

State and Government
The Constitution of the PR of Japan describe it as a unitary socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship. Although the Constitution recognizes the right of political pluralism, only the "democratic parties" of the Revolution and others are allowed to register in the elections and participate at all levels of government.

The National Diet (国会 Kokkai) is the national legislature and the highest organ of state power of the PR of Japan. The members of National Diet are elected for a five-year term. The plenary sessions of the Diet are held at least twice every year. The National Diet elects the State Council, the Council of the People's Ministers, the Supreme People's Court and the People's Inspectorate on the first plenary session after the elections of the National Diet. Between the session of the National Diet elects a Standing Committee that presides its normal session, carry out some its function and call for special sessions of the National Diet.

The State Council (國務院 Kokumu-in) is the collective head of state of Japan, elected by the National Diet. The State Council consists of a President, several councilors (ranging from two to six) and a non voting secretary. The National Diet defines the number of members of the State Council. Its function are to issue statutory decrees, legally binding interpretations of constitution and laws, conducts foreign affairs. The diplomatic role of head of state solely rests with the President. The State Council formally exercises its functions collectively; however, its president is a pivotal political figure. Under Nosaka (1954-1965), the huge influence its President over all state and government institutions was established.

The Council of the People's Ministers (CPM) is the highest administrative body of Japan. The President of Council of Ministers chairs its sessions, who is assisted by three Deputy Ministers, and consisted of the Ministers of State and other executive authorities. The National Diet elects the CPM. The legislature can also vote a censure against the CPM and if it is approved it them process to name a new one. The main function of CPM is to implement the general state policy. Every People's Ministers of State are free to carry out their duties as long as in accordance with the general state policy as laid out by the State Council and/or the National Diet.

The Supreme People's Court is the court of last resort and the highest judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution - along the State Council - and decide questions of national law (including local bylaws). Its members are elected by the National Diet. The Supreme People's Court is also responsible for nominating judges to lower courts, determining judicial procedures, overseeing the judicial system, including the activities of public prosecutors, and disciplining judges and other judicial personnel. Candidates for judgeship must pass the National Judicial Examination.

The People's Inspectorate purpose is to find and eliminate inefficiency within the state’s administration. Its members are elected by the National Diet. The People's Inspectorate responsible for scrutinizing all levels of the administration and enterprise administrations. Its bureaus of complaints are open to any citizen to file a complaint against any body of the state administration. The People's Inspectorate can either suggest corrective measures to correct issues of neglect or malfunction, or send the complain to the judiciary.

Political Parties
Japanese politics distinguishes three main ideological camps or families. National government as being led by the left camp, in occasions sustained by the center o right camps. The right camp as being the political expression of groups not associated to the left or of the few remaining pro capitalist groups still existing in Japan.
 * Left Camp
 * Workers and Farmers Party (労働農民党, Rōnōtō, WFP) 1953-1967. The dominant left party (de facto one-party state) of the PR of Japan. Established by the merger of the existing communist, socialist, Christian socialist, pacifists parties and groups.
 * Japanese Communist Party (日本共産党, Nihon Kyōsan-tō JCP). 1967 to date. Established from the dissolved WFP. Established from the dissolved WFP. Recreation of the pre 1953 party of the same name. The historical and traditional party of the left and urban workers interests and networks.
 * Japanese Socialist Party (日本社会党, Nihon Shakaitō JSP) 1967 to date. Established from the dissolved WFP. Recreation of the pre 1953 party of the same name.
 * Socialist Masses Party (社会大衆党 Shakai Taishutō SMP) 1967-1985. Established from the dissolved WFP. Centrist and created as dialogue group to reform the worst excess of the Nosaka era. After its dissolution, its membership went to the JCP, JSP and Proletarian Party.
 * Japan Proletarian Party (日本無産党 Nihon Musantō) 1967-1991. Established from the dissolved WFP and dissident labour unions. Recreation of the pre 1953 party of the same name. The main expression of Tenkō (change of direction) movement and dissidents expelled from the orthodox JCP or WFP.
 * Democratic Socialist Party (民主社会党 Minshu Shakai-tō) 1975 to date. Established from a split of the right-wing faction of the Socialist Party.
 * Social Labour Union 1991 to date. Formed from the merger of the Japan Proletarian Party, pacifists parties and ecological awareness, feminists, and Korean and Chinese migrants groups.


 * Center and Interest Camp
 * Constitutional Democratic Party (立憲民政党, Rikken Minseitō CDP) 1953-1976. The main and pro-government liberal party. Most of its members joined either the PDP or NDP.
 * Christian People's Party. 1953 to date.
 * National Cooperative Party ((Kokumin Kyōdōtō, NCP), 1958 to date. A centrist party promoting cooperativism and agrarian interests.
 * Dharma Welfare Party. 1956 to date. A center-left non Marxist party that advocates socialism based on the principles of Buddhism (Buddhist socialism) and would later include Engaged Buddhism. The majority of the pacifist, nuclear disarmament and environmental awareness movements had an early expression or promotion by this party.


 * Right Camp
 * Democratic Reform Party (民主改革連合, Minshu-Kaikaku-Rengō DRP) 1970 to date. A liberal and social liberalis party.
 * National Democratic Party (国民民主党, Kokumin Minshutō NDP) 1975 to date. The main party of Japanese nationalism, liberalism and agrarianism party.

Labour and Cooperatives
The General Council of Trade Unions of Japan (日本労働組合総評議会 Nihon Rōdōkumiai Sōhyōgikai, often abbreviated to Sōhyō 総評),is the national industrial union of Japan. Membership of individual and federal trade unions to the Sōhyō is obligatory. Its most important federations are the ones of the railroad, postal, automobile and education workers. Members of the parties of the left camp staff the leadership and administrative bureaucracy. The Central Union of Japanese Cooperatives is the national confederation of the cooperatives. Cooperative societies are the majority of enterprises in the agriculture, fisheries and service. Consumer cooperatives usually run the retail business of agricultural and sea products.

Communications and Mass Media
The Nihon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) is the national public broadcaster. Its radio and television networks broadcast in Japanese, with some programs and local networks in Korean and Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka and Hokkien).

Regional Broadcasting Unions provide regional and local radio and television programming. The unions took over the regional and local networks of NHK and part of the Korean and Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka and Hokkien) programs and added Hawaiian and the main Malayo-Polynesian languages to its programing.

The main national newspapers are: Shimbun Akahata (of the Japanese Communist Party), Sankei Shimbun (center-right), Nikkei Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Renmin Ribao (the main Chinese daily newspaper) and Minju Choson (the main Korean daily newspaper). National newspapers print morning and evening editions.

The end of press censorship in 1966 and the liberation of culture from party intervention and relaxation of state control of the arts and mass media in 1969 saw an explosion of publications as independent publishing cooperatives and worker-owned enterprises were established and geared towards interests of a public hungry for recreation and leisure.

Administrative Divisions
The PR of Japan is organized in National Regions, National Territories, Metropolitan Prefecture, Prefectures, Districts, Municipalities (includes Towns, Villages and Wards).

Each National Region, National Territory, Prefectural Metropolis, Prefecture and municipality has a chief executive, called a governor in prefectures and a mayor in local governments, or collegiate executive such as an Administrative Board. Most jurisdictions also have a unicameral assembly. Both the executive and assembly are elected by popular vote every four years.


 * National Regions (Capital)
 * 1) Tōhoku (Sendai)
 * 2) Kantō (Tokyo)
 * 3) Chūbu (Nagoya)
 * 4) Kansai (Osaka)
 * 5) Chūgoku (Hiroshima)
 * 6) Shikoku (Matsuyama)
 * 7) Kyūshū (Fukuoka)
 * 8) Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa)
 * 9) Hawaii (Honolulu)
 * 10) Hokkaido (Sapporo)
 * 11) Nan'yō (South Seas Islands) (Saipan)


 * Metropolitan Prefecture (same limits as the prefecture they are capital of)
 * 1) Tokyo
 * 2) Yokohama
 * 3) Fukuoka
 * 4) Osaka
 * 5) Nagoya
 * 6) Kyoto
 * 7) Kobe
 * 8) Hiroshima
 * 9) Nagasaki
 * National Territories (capital)
 * 1) Karafuto (Toyohara)
 * 2) Kuril Islands
 * 3) Bonin Islands
 * 4) Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Armed Forces and Police
The old Imperial Army and Navy were disbanded and replaced by the Japanese People's Armed Forces (JPAF). The former Imperial Army and Navy were purged of nationalist and conservative officers and soldiers discharged, reeducated in concentration camps or extradited for war crimes to China and Korea.

The branches of the JPAF are the following:
 * Flag_of_the_Japan_Self-Defense_Forces.svg Japanese People's Army (JPA)
 * Naval_Ensign_of_Japan.svg Japanese People's Navy (JPN)
 * Soviet_Russia_Air_force_roundel_(variant_over_RAF_roundel).svg Japanese People's Air Force (JPAF). It also has specialized corp, the Air Defence Forces that control the surface-to-air detection and defense system.
 * Ensign_of_the_Japanese_Coast_Guard.svg Coastal Safety Force (CSF)
 * Japanese Peoples Strategic Force (JPSF), the unified branch of the JPN and JPAF that controls Japan's air and sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Established in 1968.

The National Security Board, successor of the Revolutionary Military Council, and the Ministry of National Defense are in charge administratively of the Armed Forces and also elaborate the National Defence Policy.

The commander in chief of the armed forces is the President of the State Council, advised by the Minister of Defense and the Unified Joint Staff.


 * Police

The old police services of Imperial Japan and military police forces of the Kenpeitai (army) and of the Tokkeitai (navy) were disbanded and replaced by local police militias, municipal police and rural police service. The political police Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu (特別高等警察 Special Higher Police), also the Tokkō (特高 Tokkō) was disbanded. However, the functions of the Tokko were reconstituted as the Public Security Bureau.

However, inefficiency, corruption, political favoritism force a centralization into a national force in 1959, the National Police, under the administration and control of the Ministry of Interior.

The Civil Defense Corps (CDC, 1955-1972) were voluntary workings unit for fire service, civil defense, shelter management, emergency food production, and evacuation. They were established as part on a exhaustive emergency network to deal with possibles bomb strikes from hostile states (i.e., China and Korea). The CDC was dissolved as Japan's thermonuclear weapons became a powerful deterrent against any hostile attack by nearby states. Natural disaster management and help were moved to the Japanese People's Armed Forces, National Police and National Fire and Rescue Service.
 * Disaster Management

All male civilians between the ages of 12 to 65 years, and females of 12 to 45 years were required to be members of their local CDC. They received training on fire fighting techniques, civil defense and elementary first aid.