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Japan Cooperative Party (1945–46)

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

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

History

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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 [ja] and dairy farmer Kurosawa Torizo [ja].[3][5] It initially had around 20 members,[1] and journalist Yamamoto Sanehiko [ja] 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] Only two of the party's 23 legislative members were able to escape the Purge.[8] It won 14 seats in the April 1946 elections.[9] On the other hand, the dominant Liberal Party could not win an absolute majority, so the Shidehara Cabinet did not resign and began maneuvering to 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

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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

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House of Representatives

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Election Leader Votes % Seats Position Status
1946 Sanehiko Yamamoto 1,799,764 3.25
14 / 468
 5th Opposition
Source: [9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Fukui 1985, p. 514.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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. ^ a b c d e f g 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. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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

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