Rikken Minseito

Quick Facts: Who was Rikken Minseito?

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Rikken Minseito

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A major liberal political party in pre-war Japan, known for its progressive platform.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Constitutional Democratic Party (Japanese: 立憲民政党, Hepburn: Rikken Minseitō) was one of the main political parties in pre-war Empire of Japan. Commonly known as the Minseitō, it was the main rival to the Rikken Seiyūkai. The party was founded in 1927 as a merger of Kenseikai and the Seiyūhontō political parties. It won 217 seats in the 1928 general election, resulting in a hung parliament. In the 1930 general election, the party won an absolute majority with 273 seats, leading its president Hamaguchi Osachi to become the Prime Minister of Japan.

Career & Major Achievements

Focusing on economic recovery following the Wall Street crash of 1929, Hamaguchi was assassinated in 1930, leading him to be succeeded by Wakatsuki Reijirō. The party strongly opposed the Mukden incident in 1931, leading Reijirō's government to collapse that year. The party lost a significant amount of seats in the 1932 general election, which saw the election of Rikken Seiyūkai. It adopted a pro-military stance afterwards, and won a slight plurality of 205 seats in the 1936 general election, resulting in a hung parliament. In the 1937 general election, it dropped to 179 seats, which continued the paralysis in the parliament.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1940, the party voted to merge itself to the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, which became the sole ruling party of Japan until 1945. The Minseitō was founded on 1 June 1927, by a merger of the Kenseikai and the Seiyūhontō political parties. Its leadership included Hamaguchi Osachi, Wakatsuki Reijirō, Yamamoto Tatsuo, Takejirō Tokonami, Adachi Kenzō, Koizumi Matajirō and Saitō Takao. The party platform was politically and economically more liberal than its major rival, the Rikken Seiyūkai, calling for rule by the Diet of Japan rather than bureaucrats or genrō, elimination of disparities in wealth, international cooperation, and protection of personal liberties. The Minseitō fielded many candidates in the 1928 general election, (the first to be held after the General Election Law), winning 217 seats in the Lower House, as opposed to 218 seats for the Seiyūkai.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1927: 1927 Milestone — The party was founded in 1927 as a merger of Kenseikai and the Seiyūhontō political parties.
2. 1928: 1928 Milestone — It won 217 seats in the 1928 general election, resulting in a hung parliament.
3. 1929: 1929 Milestone — Focusing on economic recovery following the Wall Street crash of 1929, Hamaguchi was assassinated in 1930, leading him to be succeeded by Wakatsuki Reijirō.
4. 1930: 1930 Milestone — In the 1930 general election, the party won an absolute majority with 273 seats, leading its president Hamaguchi Osachi to become the Prime Minister of Japan.
5. 1931: 1931 Milestone — The party strongly opposed the Mukden incident in 1931, leading Reijirō's government to collapse that year.
6. 1932: 1932 Milestone — The party lost a significant amount of seats in the 1932 general election, which saw the election of Rikken Seiyūkai.
7. 1936: 1936 Milestone — It adopted a pro-military stance afterwards, and won a slight plurality of 205 seats in the 1936 general election, resulting in a hung parliament.
8. 1937: 1937 Milestone — In the 1937 general election, it dropped to 179 seats, which continued the paralysis in the parliament.
9. 1940: 1940 Milestone — In 1940, the party voted to merge itself to the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, which became the sole ruling party of Japan until 1945.

Notable Quotes by Rikken Minseito

“The Minseitō will implement strong 'Parliament-centric politics' through good operation of the universal suffrage.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Rikken Minseito

True or False: “The Minseitō maintained its liberal stance throughout all elections, never adopting pro-military policies when necessary.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): In the 1936 general election, the party was forced to adopt a more pro-military stance in order to recover seats against its rivals.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Rikken Minseito