This webpage briefly explains Diet members, followed by introduction on how to check for information on them mainly using the Internet.

1. About Diet members

Diet members are chosen by direct elections. Citizens over the age of 18 may vote. Eligible candidates must be 25 years old or older for the House of Representatives, and 30 years or older for the House of Councillors.
The House of Representatives has 465 members with a term of office of four years. It can be dissolved during this term. The House of Councillors has 242 members with a term of office of six years. There is no dissolution and half of them are reelected every three years. Members of the House of Representatives are elected by an electoral system comprised of single-seat constituencies and proportionally represented multiple-seat constituencies, and Members of the House of Councillors are elected by a combination of the proportional representation system and the constituency system.

• Shugiin no ugoki in 2018 No. 26 Compiled by The House of Representatives (Japanese)
  ※"Transition of the quorum of Diet members" is included in p.390.

2. About political parties and factions

A Political parties are the backbone of parliamentary government that connect people's interests and opinions to government decisions. Elections are held on a political party basis. After elections, each political party forms a faction, which is a political group that comprises members of the party and independent Diet members with similar political positions.

• The House of Representatives Strength of the In-House Groups in the House of Representatives (English)
• The House of Councilors Strength of the Political Groups in the House of Councillors (English)

3. Information of Diet members

3-1. Diet members (1947-present)

(1) Current members

• The House of RepresentativesList of Members (English)
  Users can see names of Diet members listed in alphabetical order, their portrait photos and factions.

• List of the Members Sorted by Political Groups in the House compiled by the House of Councillors (English)
  Users can see names of Diet members listed in alphabetical order or by faction. By clicking the name of a Diet member, users can see their detailed information.

(2) Past Diet members

• List of past Diet members compiled by the House of Councillors (Japanese)
  For members of the House of Councillors, users can see their names, how to read their names, the last faction they were members of, the number of electoral terms they served, and their constituencies from the first Diet (1947).

* The House of Representatives does not have a similar webpage.

• WARP (the National Diet Library Web Archiving Project) (Japanese)
  Users can see Diet member information of the House of Representatives from November 29, 2005 and that of the House of Councillors from October 25, 2002.
• Gikai seido 70-nen shi compiled by the House of Representatives, The House of Councillors [Vol.11 Shugiin giin meikan] by Ministry of Finance, Printing Bureau, 1962 (Japanese)
  This material contains personal histories of all members of the House of Representatives elected from the 1st general election (July 1, 1890) to the 28th general election (May 22, 1958).
• Gikai seido 70-nen shi compiled by the House of Representatives, The House of Councilors [Vol.1 Kizokuin･sangiin giin meikan] Ministry of Finance, Printing Bureau 1960 (Japanese)
  This material contains personal histories of the following: Members of the House of Lords from the first Imperial Diet (1890) to the 92nd Imperial Diet (1946) and members of the House of Councillors from the first National Diet (1947) to the 35th National Diet (1960).

3-2. Imperial Diet members (1890-1947)

*Please refer to Gikai seido 70-nen shi (The House of Representatives,The House of Peers/The House of Councillors) above.

• Shugiin Yoran compiled by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives (Japanese)
  These materials contain relevant laws and regulations as well as Information of Diet members. Information of Diet members is included in the second volume in cases when it is split into two volumes.
  These materials cover from 1904 to 1947 (some volumes are missing).
• Kizokuin Yoran compiled by the Secretariat of the House of Peers(Japanese)
  These materials contain relevant laws and regulations as well as Information of Diet members. Information of Diet members is included in the second volume when split into two volumes and the third volume when split into three.
  These materials cover from 1903 to 1947 (some volumes are missing).
• Kishu ryoin giin meikan compiled by Urushizaki Tashiro (Japanese)
  This is the directory of members of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives issued in 1919.