Japan
Japan exhibits high-range performance across three categories of the Global State of Democracy framework: Representation, Rights and Rule of Law. It performs in the mid-range in Participation. It is among the world’s top 25 per cent of performers in all factors except Inclusive Suffrage, Gender Equality, Civil Society and Electoral Participation. Compared to five years prior, Japan has seen advances in Freedom of Expression, which may be partly driven by a revised law protecting victims from online defamation. Effective Parliament performance has declined, due to several government scandals, including undisclosed slush funds and related questions about the legislature’s ability to hold leaders accountable. Japan is home to one of the world’s strongest economies; key exports include cars, commodities and machines.
Post-WWII Japan has been stable and dominated by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP). Key political and electoral reforms in the 1990s replaced the single non-transferable vote system with a parallel system and strengthened political funding rules, which contributed to improving the quality of democracy. However, reforms were also criticized for failing to address malapportionment between urban and rural voters and for facilitating factionalism. Japan has also struggled with low electoral turnout, due in part to one-party dominance and youth disengagement. Furthermore, some experts have questioned judicial and media independence in recent years. The 2024 elections marked LDP’s first loss of a parliamentary majority since 2009, as voter frustration over funding scandals and the cost of living grew, despite a new law to revise political funds control. This signals a shift in the political landscape, creating both uncertainties and opportunities for a more inclusive government.
LDP’s pursuit of constitutional revision aimed to clarify the role of the Self-Defense Force; the right to collective self-defense has long been a root for contention and public protests. Geopolitics and growing concerns about the risks of war have pushed for a policy aimed at strengthening the domestic defense industrial base and accelerated further defense buildups.
In a largely homogenous (Yamato Japanese comprising 98 per cent) land, indigenous peoples (Ainu, Ryukyuan) and ethnic minorities (Chinese, Korean) have historically been discriminated. Foreigners and migrants still face racial barriers, amid accelerated employment schemes for foreign workers in an effort to address the demographic crisis; its impact on the economy and cities is a pressing political concern. Growing discontent with economic malaise and record-breaking numbers of inbound tourists has also led to the anti-immigrant populist party winning seats in the Lower House.
The Constitution enshrines equality, yet there are no laws prohibiting discrimination. Despite the 2024 elections yielding a record-high number of women in the Lower House, gender gaps remain stark in political leadership, wage and employment; the single-surname rule for married couples is a longstanding, controversial subject, and arguments for female imperial succession have faced pushbacks. Meanwhile, court rulings recognizing the constitutional right for same-sex marriage signal positive steps towards expanding LGBTQIA+ rights.
Looking ahead, it will be critical to watch Effective Parliament amid further divisions within LDP and the electorate’s concerns on the money scandal and inflation. Japan’s evolving defense policy should be monitored, including shifting alliances with regional actors and divisions regarding the constitutional revision. Also important is performance in Rights, especially regarding the government’s approach to the falling birthrate, aging society, gender equality and labour shortages, including through the recently approved guidelines on women’s empowerment and upskilling foreign workers.
Last Updated: July 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
April 2026
Mass protests against proposed constitutional revision
In April, large-scale anti-militarization protests took place in Japan, reflecting heightened mobilisation in response to the government’s renewed push to revise the constitution, particularly Article 9 (which renounces war and prohibits maintaining offensive military forces), and expand the country’s defence policy. Demonstrations drew tens of thousands of participants, including approximately 36,000 outside the National Diet (parliament) on 19 April, and were reported in multiple locations nationwide. The protests followed major policy shifts, including the removal of restrictions on arms exports on 21 April, and reflect rising public concern that Japan is moving away from its post-World War II pacifist identity. In a context where large-scale protests on constitutional issues are rare, the scale and generational breadth of participation—including by younger citizens—suggest an intensification of civic engagement and contestation over Japan’s constitutional framework and security policy.
Sources: The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Asahi Shimbun, BBC News
November 2025
High court verdicts on same-sex marriage ban await Supreme Court ruling
On 28 November, the Tokyo High Court ruled that Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional, marking a setback for marriage equality. The decision is the final ruling among six high court cases filed between 2019 and 2021. The latest ruling deviates from five previous high court verdicts across the country which had deemed the ban as unconstitutional and intensified discussions regarding the legalization of same-sex marriage. The six consolidated cases are now expected to go to the Supreme Court, with a final decision expected by next year. Rights experts continue to urge the government to resolve the issue through legislation, as the cases undergo further legal review.
Sources: The Mainichi, BBC News, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), Amnesty International
October 2025
Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan’s first woman to serve as prime minister
On 21 October, Sanae Takaichi of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was elected by both chambers of the National Diet (parliament) as Japan’s first woman to serve as Prime Minister. Takaichi secured 237 votes out of 465 in the lower house and 125 of 246 votes in the upper house runoff. Takaichi had been appointed president of the LDP on 4 October, following Shigeru Ishiba's resignation in September after recent election losses. Takaichi now leads a minority government, formed as part of a new coalition with the Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party). While her victory represents a significant milestone in gender representation, political experts remain uncertain whether her conservative ideology will enhance women’s political empowerment. Takaichi’s new 19-member cabinet remains dominated by men, with two women alongside herself, including Satsuki Katayama, Japan’s first woman serving as Finance Minister.
Sources: The Japan Times, Reuters, The Guardian, European Parliament
September 2025
Lower court removes major barrier to legal gender recognition
On 19 September, the Sapporo Family Court ruled that the legal requirement for transgender individuals to undergo sex reassignment surgery in order to change their legal gender is unconstitutional. The ruling builds on a precedent set by a Supreme Court decision in 2023, which also declared sterilization to be unconstitutional, but left the requirement for altering one’s physical appearance unresolved. The new ruling goes a step further by declaring that requiring transgender individuals to undergo hormone treatment to change their appearance is also a violation of their rights. LGBTQIA+ rights advocates say the ruling represents a significant step forward in the fight for legal gender recognition in Japan.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, Japan Times, The Asahi Shimbun, International IDEA
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