Japan

Japan is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy — the only country in A House Divided with a bicameral elected legislature where both chambers have player-contestable seats. The National Diet (Kokkai) consists of the Shūgiin (House of Representatives) and the Sangiin (House of Councillors). The Prime Minister is appointed through a confidence vote in the Shūgiin. Japan also has a unique Cabinet Bills mechanic not available in any other country, and the PM can dissolve the Shūgiin and call snap elections.

Government Structure

The National Diet (Kokkai)

The Diet is Japan's bicameral national legislature. Unlike the UK where the upper house is unelected, both chambers of the Japanese Diet are elected by players and NPPs.

Shūgiin (House of Representatives)

• 465 seats elected from 8 regional constituencies by FPTP
• 4-year terms, but can be dissolved by the PM for a snap election
• Invests confidence in the Cabinet — the PM must command a Shūgiin majority
• Originates all bills; has override power over the Sangiin
• Coalition threshold: 233 seats (50% of 465 + 1)

Sangiin (House of Councillors)

• 248 seats elected from 8 regional constituencies by FPTP
• 6-year staggered terms — half contested every 3 years (2 classes)
• Cannot be dissolved — provides legislative continuity even during snap elections
• Revises legislation; can reject Shūgiin bills but the Shūgiin can override with a 2/3 supermajority
• Class 1 regions: Hokkaido, Kanto, Kansai, Shikoku (131 seats)
• Class 2 regions: Tohoku, Chubu, Chugoku, Kyushu & Okinawa (117 seats)

Eight Regions

Japan's gameplay is organized around 8 regions, each containing multiple prefectures:

Your character's home region determines where you run for office. Kanto (which includes Tokyo) is the most populous region with the most seats. Kansai (which includes Osaka) has a distinct political profile — Nippon Ishin no Kai is the dominant opposition force there, rather than the CDP.

How Japanese Elections Work

Both chambers use FPTP from regional constituencies. Each region elects multiple Shūgiin or Sangiin members, and the game allocates seats proportionally within the region based on vote share — but the spoiler effect still applies through major-party modelling.

Major parties by region:

• Most regions: LDP and CDP are the two major parties
• Kansai (KNS): LDP and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Ishin dominates as the Kansai-based opposition)

Primaries advance the top 3 candidates per party per region, the same as the UK rule (not the US's top-1 rule).

Sangiin stagger: Only one class of Sangiin seats is up for election at a time. Plan your Sangiin run for the correct class in your home region.

Prime Minister Selection

The PM is appointed through a confidence vote in the Shūgiin only (the Sangiin does not vote on PM selection):

1. After Shūgiin elections resolve, the largest party or coalition with 233+ seats attempts government formation.
2. A confidence vote among all 465 Shūgiin members is held.
3. If it passes (majority), the nominee becomes PM and appoints all cabinet members directly.
4. If no party holds a majority, minority government formation or coalition negotiation proceeds.

The PM has no fixed term and serves until losing a confidence vote, resigning, or calling a snap election.

Snap Elections

The PM can dissolve the Shūgiin and call a snap election — a mechanic Japan shares with the UK but not the US or Germany.

Rules:

• Who: Sitting PM only
• Limit: 2 snap elections per PM appointment (resets when a new PM takes office)
• Cooldown: 336 turns (approximately 2 real-time weeks) between snap elections
• Scope: Shūgiin only — the Sangiin cannot be dissolved
• Duration: 48 hours (24h primary + 24h general) — much shorter than a regular cycle

When a snap election is called, all active Shūgiin elections are cancelled and fresh snap elections spawn across all 8 regions simultaneously. The government resets to pending until a new PM is confirmed through the confidence vote process.

Cabinet Bills (Japan-Exclusive)

Japan is the only country with the Cabinet Bills mechanic. The PM and any cabinet member can propose bills through a cabinet review process before they enter the normal Diet pipeline.

How it works:

1. A PM or cabinet member proposes a cabinet bill.
2. A 24-hour cabinet vote is held — the PM and all player-held cabinet positions vote (simple majority, minimum 2 players).
3. If the cabinet votes to advance the bill, it enters the Shūgiin as cabinet_review → active (Shugiin).
4. The bill then proceeds through the normal bicameral process: Shūgiin → Sangiin → enacted.
5. Limit: 1 cabinet bill in review at a time.

This gives the ruling coalition a direct legislative fast-track not available in the US or UK.

Bicameral Bill Lifecycle

Japan has a more complex bill lifecycle than the UK due to its elected Sangiin:

There is no PM signature or veto step. Passage in both chambers means immediate enactment.

The Emperor

Japan has an imperial character — the Emperor. This is a ceremonial head of state with no political role. The Emperor manages the Chrysanthemum Properties corporation (real estate sector). The imperial character represents constitutional continuity but does not vote on legislation, the PM, or any in-game political question.

Japan-Specific Metrics

Japan tracks regional metrics specific to its economic and demographic context:

These metrics are affected by legislation and cabinet policy actions. Bills targeting robotics or elder care can shift regional outcomes more significantly in Japan than equivalent bills in other countries.

Key Japanese Mechanics

Dual elected chambers. Both Shūgiin and Sangiin seats are player-contestable. A Sangiin seat provides 6-year tenure that survives snap elections — useful for stability.

Shūgiin supremacy. The Shūgiin can override a Sangiin rejection with a 2/3 supermajority. The Sangiin cannot override the Shūgiin on any bill.

No PM veto or royal assent delay. Bills pass immediately on bicameral approval.

Cabinet controls fast-track. Controlling the PM + enough cabinet seats enables the cabinet bill fast-track — a significant advantage for the governing party.

Party creation costs less. Creating a new party requires only 2 regions and 1 NPP per region (2 NPPs total).

Career Path for Japanese Players

Currency and Economy

The Yen is stored in JPY millions in-game; the USD exchange rate is approximately 0.00943 (2020 baseline). The BoJ has historically operated near-zero rates — the lowest default prime rate of any country in the game.

Key Japan Links

• Election Mechanics — Primary and general election rules
• Snap Elections — Dissolving the Shūgiin
• Core Systems — Turn structure, action economy
• Player Progression — Career ladder details
• Campaign Strategy — Fundraising, ads, canvassing

Living history

The timeline below is written by the turn processor whenever a Prime Minister transition or national-scope bill enactment happens in-game. Each entry is a real event from this save.