Day 6 Thoughts
Several students at W.O.S. asked me to find out about the system of government in Japan. I admit that I am very ignorant with regard to this issue, but I have learned some information that might answer some of your questions. As you can see from the pictures for day 6, politicians campaign here just as they do in America. Elections are also held in public buildings and there are rules that are followed at voting sites. (Namely, photographs cannot be taken inside the voting room.) I did take a peek in the room and noticed booths with screens that are similar to ours. There are 126 million people who live in Japan. Of that number, 100 are of voting age (at least 20 years old). During the last election 51-52% of the population voted. Normally, 65-72% of the eligible voters vote. There are many political parties (5-7), but one very strong party, the liberal Democrats. Women do run for office here. We were told women hold 4.8% of the seats in the House of Reps. and 17.1% of the seats in the House of Councillors. I was surprised by this. I wonder what the percentage is in the U.S. I leave for Ofunato, Iwate, tomorrow. I may have difficulty connecting to the web. I will try to connect on Wed., July 5th when I return to Tokyo.
Name:
Anne O'Brien