The Imperial Diet and the National Diet

* An explanation in English on the parliamentary system in Japan can be found in the websites of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.

1. Stenographic records of proceedings ("Giji-sokkiroku")

Plenary meetings

Committee meetings

Links

You can search for the proceedings of the National Diet plenary meetings and committee meetings by accessing "Full-text Database System for the Minutes of the Diet (Kokkai Kaigiroku Kensaku Shisutemu)" (in Japanese) provided by the NDL.

On the website of the House of Representatives, you can viewthe proceedings of the House of Representatives plenary meetings and committee meetings on and after the 145th National Diet (Since January 1999) (in Japanese).

Also, on the website of the House of Councillors, you can view the recent proceedings of the House of Councillors plenary meetings and committee meetings (in Japanese).

Secret meetings in the Imperial Diet

The following stenographic records of the secret meetings are available

• "Teikokugikai Shugiin Himitsukai Giji-sokkirokushu" (BZ-6-11) (in Japanese) (2 volumes in total)
• "Kizokuin Himitsukai Giji-sokkirokushu" (BZ-6-1) (in Japanese)
• "Dai-90kai Teikokugikai Shugiin Teikoku Kenpo Kaiseian'iin Sho-iinkai sokkiroku" (BZ-7-11) (in Japanese) (2 volumes in total)

2. Records of proceedings ("Gijiroku")

<"Gijiroku" are the gist of the proceedings and published in the era of the Imperial Diet. >

Plenary meetings

Committee meetings

Since stenographic records were not necessarily issued for all of the proceedings of the committees in the Meiji era, there are cases in which the above two records of the proceedings are the only resources available.

3. Index to the Diet minutes

Index of speakers/Subject Index

An index of speakers and subject index (index by names of bills) are attached to the proceedings. However, there are the following exceptions:

• "Proceedings of the committee meetings of the House of the Councillors(Sangiin Iinkai Kaigiroku )" of 1st-12th National Diet (in Japanese) ***Subject index only
• "Stenographic Records of the committee meetings of the House of Peers( Kizokuin Iinkai Giji-sokkiroku )" of Imperial Diet (in Japanese) * No index
• "Stenographic Records of the committee meetings of the House of Representatives (Shugiin Iinkai Giji-sokkiroku)" of 1st-55th Imperial Diet (in Japanese) * No index
• "Stenographic Records of the committee meetings of the House of Representatives(Shugiin Iinkai Giji-sokkiroku )" of 56th-72nd Imperial Diet (in Japanese) * Index of names of bills only For 39th-139th National Diet sessions, the indexes edited and issued by the NDL are also available.
• "General Index to the Debates(Kaigiroku So-sakuin )" of 39th-100th National Diet (BZ-5-5) (in Japanese)
• "General Index to the Debates (Kokkai Kaigiroku So-sakuin)" of 101st-139th National Diet (BZ-5-5) (in Japanese)

4. Bills

Tools to search for the discussions on bills

"70 years of the Diet System: Subject Index to the Bills discussed in the Imperial Diet (Gikaiseido 70nen-shi Teikokugikai Gian-to Kenmeiroku)" (Compiled by both Houses of the National Diet) (in Japanese)

The bills discussed in the Imperial Diet classified by type and in numerical order and their dates of submission and resolution are listed. Index in Japanese syllabary order is at the end of the book.

"70 years of the Diet System: Index to the Bills discussed in the National Diet(Gikaiseido 70nen-shi Kokkai gianmei roku )" (Compiled by both Houses of the National Diet) (in Japanese)

The bills discussed in the 1st-35th Diet (May 1947-July 1960) classified by type and in numerical order and their dates of submission and resolution are listed. Index in Japanese syllabary order is at the end of the book.

"100 years of the Diet System: Subject Index to the Bills discussed in the National Diet (Gikaiseido 100nen-shi Kokkaigian Kenmeiroku)" (Compiled by both Houses of the National Diet) (in Japanese)

The treaties, legislations discussed and resolutions passed in the 1st-118th National Diet (May 1947-June 1990) classified by type and in numerical order and their dates of submission, dates of referral to the committees, and dates of resolution in the committees, as well as the dates of resolutions at the plenary meetings are listed.

"Gian Shingi-hyo" (BZ-5-4) (Compiled by the Secretariat of the House of Councillors) (in Japanese)

The dates of submission of bills to the House of Councillors, dates of acceptance, dates of referral to the committees and dates of resolutions at the plenary meetings are listed.

"Gian Shinsa Ichiran-hyo" of "Chosa" (BZ-5-G1) (Compiled by the Research Office of the Standing Committees in the House of Representatives) (in Japanese).

Approval of and objection to the bills submitted to the 80th-124th National Diet sessions by the factions in the committees concerned are listed including the deliberation process.

"Gian Shinsa Ichiran-hyo" of "Shugiin no Ugoki" (BZ-5-G2) (Compiled by the Research Offices of the Standing Committees in the House of Representatives) (in Japanese);in succession to the above-mentioned "Chosa".

Approval of and objection to the bills submitted to the National Diet on and after the 125th session by the factions in the committees concerned are listed including the deliberation process.

Links

On the website of the House of Representatives, you can see the information on recent bill deliberations (in Japanese) and "Shugiin no Ugoki" 1999 and later editions (in Japanese).

Law bills

Imperial Diet "Law Bills (Horitsu-an)" (BZ-4-T01)

Library has 2nd, 13th, 14th, 16th, 21st-28th, 30th, 36th-92nd Imperial Diet (in Japanese)

National Diet "Law Bills(Horitsu-an)" (BZ-4-01)

Library has 1st National Diet+ (in Japanese)

Links

On the website of the House of Representatives, you can view the original texts of the law bills submitted on and after the 142nd National Diet (in Japanese). On the website of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, you can view the list of the cabinet bills and treaties from the last 10 National Diet Sessions(in Japanese). Also, on the website of the House of Councillors Legislative Bureau, you can view the original text of the law bills submitted by the members of the House of Councillors on and after the 1st National Diet(in Japanese). In addition, e-Gov, the official web portal of the Government of Japan managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, provides links to the law bills of each agency recently submitted to the National Diet.

5. Budgets and Audits

Budgets and Audits at the Imperial Diet

"Budget (Yosan)" (BZ-4-T01)

Library has: 1891, 1892, 1894-1896, 1901, 1902, 1905-1915, 1915 addition, 1916-1947 (in Japanese)

"Audit(Kessan )" (BZ-4-T04)

Library has: 1891, 1899-1944 (in Japanese)

"Kokuyu Zaisan Zogen Sokeisan-sho/Kokuyu Zaisan Genzai-gaku Sokeisan-sho" (BZ-4-T04)

Library has: 1922-1945 (in Japanese)

"Yobikin Shishutsu Shodaku wo Motomeru no Ken" (BZ-4-T04)

Library has: 1892, 1901-1947 (in Japanese)

Budgets and Audits at the National Diet

"Budget (Yosan)"(BZ-4-03)/ "Audit(Kessan )"(BZ-4-04) (in Japanese)

Links

On the website of the Ministry of Finance, you can view the information on budgets and audits (1947-) .
On the website of the Board of Audit, you can view the account settlement audit result database(in Japanese).

6. Journals

Imperial Diet

"Journal the House of Representatives (Shugiin Koho)" (YC-60)

Library has: 14th-92nd Imperial Diet (in Japanese)

"Journal of the House of Peers (Kizokuin Iho)"(BZ-3-2)

Library has: 25th-36th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 50th-52nd, 54th-56th, 59th-92nd Imperial Diet (in Japanese)

"Report of the Secretariat of the House of the Peers (Kizokuin Jimukyoku Hokoku)" (BZ-3-1)

Library has: 1st-85th Imperial Diet (in Japanese)

National Diet

"Journal of the House of Representatives (Shugiin Koho)" (BZ-3-13)

Library has: 1st National Diet+ (in Japanese)

"Weekly journal of the committees of the House of Representatives (Shugiin Iinkai Syuho)" (BZ-3-12)

Library has:13th, 15th-17th, 19th-45th, 47th-51st, 58th National Diet+ (in Japanese)

"Journal of the House of Councillors (Sangiin Koho)" (BZ-3-21)

Library has: 1st National Diet + (in Japanese)

Links

On the website of the House of Representatives, you can view official information on "Shugiin Koho" (in Japanese). Also, on the website of the House of Councillors, you can view official information on " Sangiin Koho"(in Japanese).

7. Directories of Diet members

Directories of Diet members

A wide variety of Directories of Diet members is published by private publishers, but there are official ones, called "Giin Yoran", which cover the Diet members since the Imperial Diet. The directories showing facial portraits include the following:

"Directory of the House of Representatives members(Shugiin Yoran (Otsu))" (BZ-1-11)

Library has: 1912, 1915, 1924, 1930/04, 1930/12, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1947+ (in Japanese)

"Directory of the House of Councillors members(Sangiin Yoran (III))" (BZ-1-21)

Library has: 1947+ (in Japanese)

"Directory of the House of Peers members(Kizokuin Yoran (Hei))" (BZ-1-1)

Library has: 1933-1943, 1946 (in Japanese)

8. Election results

Election results

As records of the results of national elections, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (former Ministry of Home Affairs), and the election administration committees of prefectures, cities, towns and villages issue the "Senkyo Kekka (Election Result)"; also, both Houses issue the following:

"Shugiin Giin So-senkyo Ichiran" (BZ-1-16)

Library has 1st National Election (Conducted in 1890)+ (in Japanese)

"Sangiin Giin Senkyo Ichiran" (BZ-1-26)

Library has 1st National Election (Conducted in 1947)+ (in Japanese)