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
Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (自由民主党 "Jiyū-Minshutō") is the ruling party of Japan, with Party President Shinzō Abe being the Prime Minister of Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party (as well as the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition party) is characterized by factionalism, where factions are sub-groups within a larger organisation. While factions characterize other political parties in Pacific Asia, Japanese factionalism is distinguished by its stability and institutionalization. Since the genesis of the Liberal Democratic Party in 1955, factions have existed, but they have changed over time. Despite this change,