Democratic Socialist Party

Japanese: 民社党 - みんしゃとう

A right-wing social democratic party that was formed in January 1960 and continued to exist until December 1994. Its founding members were Nishio Suehiro and Nishimura Eiichi (1904-1971), who had left the Japan Socialist Party in 1993 over the way the Security Treaty struggle should be carried out. In April 1970, the party changed its name from the Democratic Socialist Party to the Minshato, further diluting its social democratic character.

[Taguchi Fukuji]

Brief history

At the time of its inception, the party had 40 members in the House of Representatives and 17 in the House of Councillors, was chaired by Nishio, and was initially supported by the All Japan Trade Union Congress (Zenro) and later the All Japan General Confederation of Labor (Dōmei). Its slogans were the reform of capitalism and confrontation with conservative politics, the rejection of totalitarianism and dictatorship (fascism and communism), and the establishment of political, economic, social, and international democracy through the accumulation of reforms. The road ahead was difficult, with the party's strength falling to 17 in the November 1960 general election and to 11 in the July 1962 House of Councillors election, and it has languished ever since, with around 30 members in the House of Representatives and 10-13 in the House of Councillors. From the late 1970s, the party regained some strength, approaching its founding number with 35 members in October 1979, 32 members in June 1980, and 38 members in December 1983, but suffered a crushing defeat with only 26 members in June 1986. During this time, the chairmanship changed from Nishio to Nishimura Eiichi (9th convention, June 1967), Kasuga Ikko (1910-1989, 15th convention, August 1971), Sasaki Ryosaku (1915-2000, 22nd extraordinary convention, November 1977), Tsukamoto Saburo (1927-2020, April 1985), and Nagasue Eiichi (1918-1994, February 1989). Since proposing the idea of establishing a new party with a part of the Socialist Party, the Komeito Party, and the Democratic Socialist Party in 1970, the party has sought a way out through political reorganization, but since the 1980s, amid a mood of conservative recovery, it has explored joining the government through an alliance with a part of the LDP, or even the LDP itself. Following the general election of 1993, the party became the ruling party under the Hosokawa Morihiro Cabinet and the Hata Tsutomu Cabinet, but at an extraordinary party conference in December 1994, the party decided to dissolve and formed the New Frontier Party together with Shinsei Party, Komeito, and Japan New Party, bringing an end to its 35-year history.

[Taguchi Fukuji]

Platform and Policies

The party advocated the construction of a welfare state with a mixed economy based on democratic socialism, and was characterized by strong hostility towards communism. It defined itself as the party of working people, and advocated "participatory welfare," a reduction in the number of civil servants to downsize management, and restrictions on strikes by public sector labor unions. Initially it advocated a security treaty without US military presence, and later supported further strengthening of the Japan-US security arrangements, strengthening defense capabilities, and the establishment of emergency legislation, while opposing the revision of Article 9 of the Constitution and striving to maintain its oppositional character. In some ways, it was seen as more right-wing and hawkish than some in the LDP.

[Taguchi Fukuji]

Party Organization

Although it was a parliamentary party whose weak organization was supported by the support of the Democratic Socialist Party, being a small party, factional fighting was not very apparent. It received political donations from the business community and held company-wide elections in which companies and labor unions came together, but its support base varied widely from region to region, and it did not exert much influence in local assemblies except in certain areas (Aichi, Osaka, etc.). The youth corps, including those from Fuji University of Political Science, provided the party with the ability to act and organize.

[Taguchi Fukuji]

[References] | Shinshinto | Nishio Suehiro | Japan Socialist Party

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

1960年（昭和35）1月に結成され、1994年（平成6）12月まで存続した右派社会民主主義政党。前年の1993年に、安保闘争の進め方をめぐって日本社会党を離党した西尾末広(すえひろ)・西村栄一（1904―1971）らが結成の中心メンバーであった。1970年4月には党名を民主社会党から民社党にかえ、社会民主主義政党の色彩をさらに薄めた。

［田口富久治］

略史

発足時、衆院40名、参院17名、委員長西尾、支持母体は当初全日本労働組合会議（全労）、のち全日本労働総同盟（同盟）。資本主義の改革と保守政治との対立、全体主義・独裁主義（ファシズムと共産主義）の排撃、改良の積み重ねによる政治的、経済的、社会的、国際的民主主義の樹立を旗印とした。その後の道は険しく、党勢は1960年11月総選挙で17、1962年7月参院選で11に後退、以後衆院30名前後、参院10～13名に低迷してきた。1970年代末からやや勢力を挽回(ばんかい)し、1979年10月35名、1980年6月32名、1983年12月38名と結党時に近づいたが、1986年6月には26名と惨敗した。この間、委員長は、西尾から西村栄一（1967年6月第9回大会）、春日一幸(かすがいっこう)（1910―1989。1971年8月第15回大会）、佐々木良作（1915―2000。1977年11月第22回臨時大会）、塚本三郎（1927―2020。1985年4月）、永末英一(ながすええいいち)（1918―1994。1989年2月）と交替した。1970年、社会党の一部と公明党、民社党による新党樹立構想を打ち出して以来、政界再編成に活路を求めてきたが、1980年代に入ってからは、保守復調ムードのなかで、自民党の一部、さらには自民党そのものとの連合による政権参加をも模索した。その後、1993年（平成5）の総選挙後、細川護熙(もりひろ)内閣、羽田孜(はたつとむ)内閣の与党となったが、1994年12月の臨時党大会において、解党を決定、新生、公明、日本新党とともに新進党を結成し、35年間に及ぶ歴史に幕をおろした。

［田口富久治］

綱領・政策

民主社会主義に基づき混合経済による福祉国家建設を掲げ、共産主義に対する強い敵意を特徴とした。自らを国民勤労者の党と規定し、「参加する福祉」、減量経営のための公務員削減、官公労のストライキ規制などを主張。当初は駐留なき安保を唱え、後には日米安保体制のいっそうの強化、防衛力増強、有事立法制定には賛成しつつも、憲法第9条改定には反対して野党色の保持を図ってきたが、ある面では自民党の一部以上に右翼的・タカ派的とみられていた。

［田口富久治］

党組織

同盟の民社党一党支持によって弱体な党組織を支えられている議員政党であったが、小政党であることもあって派閥抗争はそれほど表面化していなかった。経済界からの政治献金を受け、企業と労組が一体となった企業ぐるみ選挙を行ったが、支持層は地域的なばらつきが大きく、特定地域（愛知、大阪など）を除き、地方議会での勢力は振るわなかった。なお富士政治大学校出身の青年部隊などが、その行動力・組織力を提供していた。

［田口富久治］

[参照項目] | 新進党 | 西尾末広 | 日本社会党

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