Liberalism in Japan

rdf:langString Liberalism in Japan

rdf:langString Japanese liberalism (自由主義 or リベラリズム) formed in the nineteenth century as a reaction against traditional society. In the twentieth century 'liberal' (自由) gradually became a synonym for conservative, and today the main conservative party in the country is named Liberal Democratic Party (Jiyu Minshuto). The defunct Democratic Party (Minshuto) was considered in part a centrist-liberal party, as are most parties which derived from it. The liberal character of the Liberal League (Jiyu Rengo) is disputed, as it is also considered to be conservative by some. This article is limited to liberal (リベラル) parties with substantial support, proved by having had representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary that parties labelled themselves "liberal".