Legal provisions for direct democracy at the local level

The mandatory referendum follows from Article 95 of the Constitution and applies to all local public entities.

Articles 76 and 78 of the Local Autonomy Law refer to the dissolution of the provincial/local legislature bodies.

Article 80 of the Local Autonomy Law refers to the recall of any specific member of the provincial/local legislature.

Article 81 of the Local Autonomy Law refers to the recall of the executive of the provincial/local legislature, which is equivalent to governors or mayors.

Articles 74, 76, 78, 80, 81 and 83 of the Local Autonomy Law only apply to “ordinary local public entities/bodies” as designated by said law. It is not clear whether these articles also apply to the special wards of Tokyo, which are classified as “special local public bodies.”

Constitution of Japan (Mandatory Referendum)

(Came into effect May 3, 1947; not amended since)
http://?www.?kantei.?go.?jp/?foreign/?constitution_?and_?government_?of_?japan/?constitution_?e.?html

Article 95. A special law, applicable only to one local public entity, cannot be enacted by the Diet without the consent of the majority of the voters of the local public entity concerned, obtained in accordance with law.


Local Autonomy Law: Article 74 (Agenda Initiative)
(Passed April 1947; last amended April 2013)
http://?law.?e-?gov.?go.?jp/?htmldata/?S22/?S22HO067.?html

Article 74.
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Local Autonomy Law: 76, 78, 80, 81, 83 (Recall)
(Passed April 1947; last amended April 2013)
http://?law.?e-?gov.?go.?jp/?htmldata/?S22/?S22HO067.?html

Article 76:?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Article 78:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.

Article 80: ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Article 81:????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Article 83:?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????