Democratic Socialist Party (Japan)

The Democratic Socialist Party (originally 民主社会党, Minshu Shakai-tō, later simply 民社党 Minsha-tō) was a social-democratic[3] political party in Japan. It was an anti-communist and pro-American alliance which supported a reformist/revisionist social democracy as opposed to the JSP's orthodox Marxism.[2]

This article is about the Japanese political party that existed from 1960 to 1994. For other Japanese socialist parties, see Japan Socialist Party (disambiguation).
Democratic Socialist Party

民主社会党 or 民社党
Minshu Shakai-tō or Minsha-tō
Founded24 January 1960[1]
Dissolved9 December 1994[1]
Split fromJapan Socialist Party[2]
Merged intoNew Frontier Party[1]
Youth wingMinsha Youth
IdeologyDemocratic socialism[1][2]
Social democracy[2]
Anti-communism[2]
Political positionCentre-left
International affiliationSocialist International

History

The Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) was established in January 1960 by a breakaway faction of the Japan Socialist Party.[4][3] Led by Suehiro Nishio, it was made up of members of the most moderate wing of the former Rightist Socialist Party of Japan, a moderate democratic socialist faction that had existed as an independent party between 1948 and 1955 before reluctantly merging back together with the Leftist Socialist Party of Japan.[4] Although long-standing ideological differences and factional rivalries played a key role, the proximate cause of the split was internal disagreements over how to conduct the ongoing Anpo protests against revision of the US-Japan Security Treaty (known as Anpo in Japanese), and whether or not to cooperate with the Communist Party of Japan in doing so.[4]

Declassified United States government documents later revealed that covert CIA funding had also helped encourage the founding of this breakaway party.[5] CIA support was aimed at moderating and subverting the political opposition to the ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which was the main CIA funded party.[6][7]

The DSP advocated democratic socialism and was a member of the Socialist International.[8] The DSP supported the construction of a welfare state by a mixed economy based on democratic socialism, opposed totalitarianism (i.e. fascism and communism) and strongly backed the Japan–United States alliance.[2] This made the pro-United States and anti-communist alliance within the LDP continued to have majority in both Houses. It derived much of its financial and organisational support from the Domei private-sector labour confederation.

The DSP was dissolved in 1994 to join the New Frontier Party. In 1996, the Japan Socialist Party was transformed into the Social Democratic Party. Two years later, in 1998, the New Frontier Party dissolved and most former DSP members eventually joined the Democratic Party of Japan.[3] Despite the dissolution of the DSP in 1994, its youth organisation (Minsha Youth) survived until 2003 and was a member of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). After Minsha Youth was dissolved, some of its former members and independent social democrats formed Young Socialists, a new youth organisation which retained full membership in IUSY. However, it was finally dissolved on 8 March 2008 without any successor organisation and abandoned its IUSY membership.

International comparison

Internationally, the DSP may be compared to the Democratic Socialists '70, another centre-right, anti-communist split from a social-democratic party.

Election results

General election results
Election year Candidates # of seats won Change Status
1960 105
17 / 467
 Opposition
1963 59
23 / 467
 6 Opposition
1967 60
30 / 486
 7 Opposition
1969 68
31 / 486
 1 Opposition
1972 65
19 / 491
 12 Opposition
1976 51
29 / 511
 10 Opposition
1979 53
35 / 511
 6 Opposition
1980 50
32 / 511
 3 Opposition
1983 54
38 / 511
 6 Opposition
1986 56
26 / 512
 12 Opposition
1990 44
14 / 512
 12 Opposition
1993 28
28 / 511
 1 Government

Councillors election results
Election year Seats Status
Total Contested
1962
12 / 250
5 / 125
 Opposition
1965
7 / 250
3 / 125
 Opposition
1968
10 / 250
7 / 125
 Opposition
1971
13 / 252
6 / 126
 Opposition
1974
10 / 252
5 / 126
 Opposition
1977
11 / 252
6 / 126
 Opposition
1980
12 / 252
6 / 126
 Opposition
1983
12 / 252
6 / 126
 Opposition
1986
12 / 252
5 / 126
 Opposition
1989
8 / 252
3 / 126
 Opposition
1992
9 / 252
4 / 126
 Opposition

References
  1. ブリタニカ国際大百科事典 小項目事典の解説 [The Encyclopædia Britannica: Micropædia 's explanation]. kotobank.jp (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  2. Taguchi, Fukuji. 日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)の解説 [The Nihon Dai Hyakka Zensho: Nipponica 's explanation]. kotobank.jp (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  3. Miranda Schreurs (2014). "Japan". In Jeffrey Kopstein; Mark Lichbach; Stephen E. Hanson (eds.). Comparative Politics: Interests, Identities, and Institutions in a Changing Global Order. Cambridge University Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-139-99138-4.
  4. Kapur, Nick (2018). Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. pp. 109–113. ISBN 978-0-6749-8442-4.
  5. "U.S. admits CIA gave LDP money in 1950s, 1960s". Japan Times. Kyodo News. 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  6. Hounshell, Blake (2007-07-30). "U.S. admits CIA gave LDP money in 1950s, 1960s". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  7. Weiner, Tim (1994-10-09). "C.I.A. Spent Millions to Support Japanese Right in 50's and 60's". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  8. James C. Docherty; Peter Lamb (2006). Historical Dictionary of Socialism. Scarecrow Press. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-8108-6477-1. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
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