Democratic Party of Japan

The Democratic Party of Japan (Japanese: 民主党, Hepburn: Minshutō) was a centrist to centre-left, liberal or social-liberal political party in Japan from 1998 to 2016. It was the main opposition to the Liberal Democratic Party from 1998 to 2009 and from 2012 to 2016, as well as the ruling party of Japan from 2009 to 2012. It is not to be confused with the now-defunct Japan Democratic Party that merged with the Liberal Party in 1955 to form the Liberal Democratic Party. It is also different from another Democratic Party, which was established in 1947 and dissolved in 1950.

The party's origins lie in the previous Democratic Party of Japan, which was founded in September 1996 by politicians of the centre-right and centre-left with roots in the Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Socialist Party. In April 1998, the previous DPJ merged with splinters of the New Frontier Party to create a new party which retained the DPJ name. In the 2000 general election, the party won 127 seats, firmly establishing it as the main opposition party. In 2003, the party was joined by the Liberal Party of Ichirō Ozawa and won 177 seats in the 2003 general election. 2004 House of Councillors election, the DPJ won a seat more than the LDP. The party lost 64 seats in the 2005 general election, with its seats being decreased to 113. Nevertheless, the party won further seats in the 2007 House of Councillors election, becoming the largest party in the House of Councillors and creating the first divided Diet since 1999.