Liberal Party (Japan, 1881) Liberal Party (Japan, 1881) The is the name of several liberal political parties in the history of Japan, two of which existed in the Empire of Japan prior to 1945. The first Liberal Party of Japan was formed on October 18, 1881, by Itagaki Taisuke and other members of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (League for the Establishment of a National Assembly) to agitate for the establishment of a national assembly, with a membership based on the ideals of liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy. It attracted a wide following of former "samurai" who were discontent because they were
Social Democratic Party (Japan) Social Democratic Party (Japan) The Social Democratic Party (社会民主党 "Shakai Minshu-tō", often abbreviated to 社民党 "Shamin-tō"), also known as the Social Democratic Party of Japan (日本社会党, abbreviated to SDPJ in English) and previously as the Japan Socialist Party (JSP), is a political party that at various times advocated the establishment of a socialist Japan, until 1996. Since its reformation and name change in 1996, it has defined itself as a social-democratic party. The party was reformed in January 1996 by the majority of legislators of the former Socialist Party of Japan, which was Japan's largest opposition party in the 1955