Sovereign power resides with each and every one of the people. The Constitution stipulates that the National Diet of Japan, consisting of Members entrusted with the peoples’ sovereignty by legitimate elections, is the “highest organ of state power” and the “sole law-making organ of the State”.

Together with the House of Councillors, the House of Representatives forms the National Diet and fills an important role which is directly linked to the lives of the people; it makes laws, designates the Prime Minister, passes the fiscal budget submitted by the Government (Cabinet), and approves treaties.

It also discusses a wide range of matters from basic national policies and issues faced by the international community to those with which the people feel more familiar, namely, matters related to their daily life. Based on its right to investigate matters related to government, while considering petitions the House receives from the people, it scrutinizes the conduct of the administration to see whether it has been properly executed.

To guide Japan responsibly in the right direction through earnest political debate, we, the Members of the House elected by the people, are striving to make the Diet “open” and “easy to understand”; we hope that the people will take an interest in discussions in the Diet by thinking of them as matters of their own.

Our website provides such information as the House structure and the deliberations of Plenary Sittings and Committee Meetings. I hope that it will help you further deepen your understanding of the National Diet of Japan and your interest in it.