Japan Cooperative Party (1945–46)

The Japan Cooperative Party (Japanese: 日本協同党, Nihon Kyōdōtō) was a political party in Japan.

Japan Cooperative Party

日本協同党
Nihon Kyōdōtō
ChairpersonYamamoto Sanehiko
Founded18 December 1945[1][2][3]
Dissolved24 May 1946[2]
Merged intoCooperative Democratic Party[2][4]
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
IdeologyCooperative socialism[2]
Conservatism[3][4]
Co-operatism[3][4][5]
Political positionCentre[2]

History

On 18 December 1945,[1] the party was established by the center of the former Sangyō Kumiai (lit. 'Industrial Association') such as cooperatist Sengoku Kotaro and dairy farmer Kurosawa Torizo.[3][5] It initially had around 20 members,[1] and journalist Yamamoto Sanehiko was assumed chairperson of the party.[2][4][6] On 4 January 1946, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) published a memorandum pertaining to the Purge (from public office) based on the Potsdam Declaration and an order from the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee (SWNCC).[7] As a result, the party had 23 members of a legislature, but only two were able to escape the Purge.[8] It won 14 seats in the April 1946 elections.[9] On the other hand, a dominant party, the Liberal Party, could not win an absolute majority, so the Shidehara Cabinet did not resign and began maneuvering for cling to power.[10] In response, the party supported a movement for the campaign to oust the cabinet advocated by the Socialist Party, and formed a four-party joint committee of the Japan Cooperative Party, the Socialist Party, the Liberal Party and the Communist Party.[11] The four-party joint committee started negotiations for a coalition government after defeating the cabinet, but the idea eventually failed due to disagreements within the subcommittee.[12] In May it merged with several smaller parties to form the Cooperative Democratic Club, later renamed the Cooperative Democratic Party.[13]

Policies

After World War II, several new parties emerged in pursuit of co-operatism as a modification of capitalism, the Japan Cooperative Party was its origin.[3] The party advocated cooperative socialism, co-operatism and Kōtō Goji (lit. 'defend and maintain of the imperial lineage') in its platform.[2][3] In its policy outline, it described co-operatism as "stabilize the lives of the people through mutual aid between cities and farming / fishing villages centred on cooperatives, and establish and encourage a production system that integrates agriculture, manufacturing and commerce."[3] In addition, it advocated defeat the monopoly capital and every feudalistic element, and aimed at centrism (i.e. stand between capitalism and socialism).[2] The party's mainly base was urban manufacturers and merchants, landlords, wealthy peasants, and small- to medium-sized manufacturers and merchants.[2][4]

Election results

General election results

Election year Candidates # of seats won Constituency votes Change Status
Number %
1946 92
14 / 464
1,799,764 3.25% Opposition
Source: [9]

References

  1. Fukui 1985, p. 514.
  2. Yoshida, Kenji. 日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)の解説 [The Nihon Dai Hyakka Zensho: Encyclopedia Nipponica 's explanation]. kotobank.jp (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  3. 世界大百科事典 第2版の解説 [The Heibonsha World Encyclopedia (2nd ed.) 's explanation]. kotobank.jp (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  4. 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 December 30, 2020.
  5. Kanda 1983, p. 87.
  6. 山本実彦とは § ブリタニカ国際大百科事典 小項目事典の解説 [What is Yamamoto Sanehiko? § The Encyclopædia Britannica: Micropædia 's explanation]. kotobank.jp (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  7. Kanda 1983, pp. 123-124.
  8. Kanda 1983, p. 125.
  9. Kanda 1983, p. 149.
  10. Kanda 1983, p. 150.
  11. Kanda 1983, pp. 150-151.
  12. Kanda 1983, pp. 151-152.
  13. Fukui 1985, p. 475.

Further reading

  • Kanda, Fuhito (1983). Senryō to minshu shugi. Showa no Rekishi (in Japanese). 8. Tokyo: Shogakukan. ISBN 4-09-376008-X.
  • Fukui, Haruhiro (1985). Political parties of Asia and the Pacific. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 031321350X.
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