Your Party (みんなの党, Minna no Tō, literally "Everyone's Party") is a Japanese parliamentary caucus consisting of Yoshimi Watanabe and Takashi Tachibana, later Satoshi Hamada after Tachibana forfeited his seat, in the House of Councillors. It was also a political party led by Watanabe from 2009 until its dissolution in 2014.

Your Party
みんなの党
Minna no Tō
FounderYoshimi Watanabe
FoundedAugust 8, 2009 (2009-08-08)
2019 (2019) (N–Koku-led caucus)
DissolvedNovember 28, 2014 (2014-11-28) (party)
Split from
IdeologyNeoliberalism[1]
Political positionCentre-right[2]
Colors
  •   Red (official)
  •   Hot pink (customary)
Website
www.your-party.jp
A campaign truck announcing policy outside Kashiwa Station in Chiba.

History

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Led by Yoshimi Watanabe, who split from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the party was founded on August 8, 2009 after then-Prime Minister Taro Aso dissolved the lower house. One concept behind the party was to make the government more democratic, and to eliminate control of the government by non-elected members established in the bureaucracy. In this respect, Watanabe has repeatedly stated that his position is compatible with the Democratic Party of Japan.

Your Party advocated lower taxation, free enterprise, smaller government, and less regulation.

The party fielded 13 candidates in the August 2009 general elections.[3] Five of those candidates were elected to the lower house. In the 2010 house of Councillors election, it gained 10 seats.[4] It also made gains at the 2011 regional elections, and in the 2012 general election, where it increased its seats from eight in the lower house to eighteen.

Following an announcement by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe for an election to be held in December 2014, the party's 20 members voted on November 19, 2014 to disband on November 28, 2014. Falling support and disagreement over whether to side with the ruling coalition in the upcoming election were identified as reasons for the split.[5]

Presidents of YP

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No. Name Image Term of office
Took office Left office
1 Yoshimi Watanabe   8 August 2009 28 November 2014

Election results

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House of Representatives

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Election Leader Constituency Party list Total Position Status
Votes % Seats /- Votes % Seats /- Seats /-
2009 Yoshimi Watanabe 615,244 0.87
2 / 300
New 3,005,199 4.27
3 / 180
new
5 / 480
new 6th Opposition
2012 2,807,244 4.71
4 / 300
  2 5,245,586 8.77
14 / 180
  9
18 / 480
  13 5th Opposition

House of Councillors

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Election Leader Constituency Party list Seats Position Status
Votes % Seats /- Votes % Seats /- Election /- Total /-
2010 Yoshimi Watanabe 5,977,391 10.24
3 / 73
new 7,943,649 13.59
7 / 48
new
10 / 121
new
11 / 242
  10 3rd Opposition
2013 4,159,961 7.84
4 / 73
  1 4,755,160 8.93
4 / 48
  3
8 / 121
  2
18 / 242
  8 6th Opposition

References

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  1. ^ Rydgren, Jens (2018). The Oxford Handbook of the Radical Right. Oxford University Press. p. 772. ISBN 978-0190274559. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  2. ^ Pletcher, Kenneth. "Your Party, political party, Japan". britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. ^ "Ex-minister Watanabe starts new political party". Japan Times. August 9, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  4. ^ Ruling bloc loses Upper House majority July 12, 2010 Japan Times Retrieved June 1, 2016
  5. ^ Abe’s snap election claims first victim as Your Party disbands November 19, 2014 Japan Times Retrieved June 2, 2016
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