Japan has the longest continuously reigning monarchy in the world, the same family having occupied the imperial throne definitely since the 5th Century and possibly since 660 BC according to legend. But what power does the Imperial Family currently have and exactly what type of government does Japan have today?

Japan has a constitutional monarchy modeled after Western liberal democracies. This involves a complex, multi-branch structure that includes the Emperor of Japan as the head of state. This balanced integration of tradition and modernity is very typical of Japanese culture and can be seen in many facets of its government.

This post is for subscribers only

Sign up now to read the post and get access to the full library of posts for subscribers only.

Sign up now Already have an account? Sign in