Political Finance Database

Article 22-5 of the Political Funds Control Act prohibits political contributions from (1) foreign persons, (2) foreign entities, or (3) associations or any other organisations of which the majority of the members are foreign persons or entities, with the exception of Japanese entities that have been listed on a Japanese stock exchange consecutively for five years or more. (Source: The Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Review - Edition 6 (2018) The Law Reviews. Available at https://thelawreviews.co.uk/edition/the-anti-bribery-and-anti-corruption-review-edition-6/1151855/japan)

(Source: Article 22-5 Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No.135 of 2007))

Article 22-5 of the Political Funds Control Act prohibits political contributions from (1) foreign persons, (2) foreign entities, or (3) associations or any other organisations of which the majority of the members are foreign persons or entities, with the exception of Japanese entities that have been listed on a Japanese stock exchange consecutively for five years or more. (Source: The Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Review - Edition 6 (2018) The Law Reviews. Available at https://thelawreviews.co.uk/edition/the-anti-bribery-and-anti-corruption-review-edition-6/1151855/japan)

(Source: Article 22-5 Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No.135 of 2007))

Article 21-2, "No person shall not financially contribute to political activities of a candidate (except election campaign), however contribution to political parties shall be accepted" (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

"Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007"

Article 22-6., "Anonymous donations or different name from identical person are prohibited. However the restrictions is not applicable to donations collected by political parties/political fund organizations  on the street or in a meeting hall (the amount must be less than 1000 yen)" (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

Article 199 "a person with government contracts shall not contribute political funds in relation to an election. (Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950 as amended by Act No 35 of 2001) 

Article 21-3.2 "Corporations, trade unions, employee organizations and other organizations shall not contribute to a person other than political parties and political fund organization" (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

22-3.2 "Companies and corporations that receive the entire or partial capital investment or donation from the state shall not contribute political donations"

(Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 69 of 2014))

Article 21-3.2 "Corporations, trade unions, employee organizations and other organizations shall not contribute to a person other than political parties and political fund organization" (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

Art 136.2 (1) In compiling the broadcast programs for domestic broadcasting, any broadcaster shall be politically impartial.(2) Public officials of the national or local government and other specified public corporations shall not participate in election campaigns by taking advantage of their positions. [description, not direct quote] (Source: Broadcast Act, 1950 (as amended by Act No.65 of 2010))

Article 21-3.1, "An individual shall not contribute more than 20 million yen per year to political parties and political fund organiations." 

Article 21-3.2 and 21-3.3 "And as for corporations and trade unions, the upper limit of the total contribution to political parties and political fund organizations ranges from 7.5 million to 30 million yen, which is determined based on the capital of the company or the number of members of the trade union.."

Article 21-3.4 "For the organisation except an individual, corporations, and trade unions, the upper limit of the total contribution to political parties and political fund organizations ranges from 7.5 million to 30 million yen,which is determined based on the expenditure of the organisations."

[description, not direct quote] (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

Article 21-3.2 and 21-3.3 "And as for corporations and trade unions, the upper limit of the total contribution to political parties and political fund organizations ranges from 7.5 million to 30 million yen, which is determined based on the capital of the company or the number of members of the trade union.."

Article 21-3.4 "For the organisation except an individual, corporations, and trade unions, the upper limit of the total contribution to political parties and political fund organizations ranges from 7.5 million to 30 million yen,which is determined based on the expenditure of the organisations."

[description, not direct quote] (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

Article 199 "Regarding the election for the member of the House of Representatives and the House of  Councilors, state and the election for the member of a local public organisation , a  local public organisation concerned and parties concened are prohibited to contribute to a political party in relation to a election"

 "The corporations and other corporate body receive a loan shall not contribute to a political party within an year after the notification of the grant of  loan"

(Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950)

Article 22 "The amount of individual contribution to a  candidate  other than political parties and political fund organizations may not exceed 1.5 million yen per year."

(Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

Article 22. "The amount of individual contribution to a person other than political parties and political fund organizations may not exceed 1.5 million yen per year." (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

(Source: Public Offices Election Act、1950) 

"in-kind donations and financial donations to candidates are restricted within 1.5 million yen per a year, and donations of food such as sandwich, bento box, alcohol, and juice is prohibited."

(Source: Koga city- Q&A for Political Funds Control Act Available at https://www.city.koga.fukuoka.jp/cityhall/work/somu/election/qa/004.php)

Political subsidies Act which was enacted in 1994 provides guidelines on regularly public funding. However, political parties are not entitled to provision of direct public funding in relation to campaigns. [description, not direct quote] (Source: Political Subsidies Act, 1994 (as amended by Act No of 2011))

Art 2, 'Following political organizations are eligible for public subsidies as political parties. (1) Political organizations that have at least 5 members either in the House of Representatives or the House of Councillors.(2) Political organizations that have at least 1 member either in the House of Representatives or the House of Councillors and obtained at least 2% of votes in one of the following elections: (a) The most recent general election for the House of Representatives under the single-member constituency system or the proportional representation system, (b)Either of the last two regular elections for the House of Councillors under the local constituency system or the proportional representation system.' (Source: Political Subsidies Act, 1994 (as amended by Act No of 2011))

Article3 "Public funding is allocated depending on the proportion of number of the members (House of Representatives or the House of Councilors ) and the proportion of votes gained " (Source: Political Party Subsidies Act, 1994 (as amended by Act No of 2011))

Article 4 "Government must respect the freedom of political activities by political parties, and shall not impose a condition on the grant of public subsidies or set a limit upon what the subsidy is spent for." (Source: Political Party Subsidies Act, 1994 (as amended by Act No of 2011))

Article 149 and 150(Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950 (as amended by Act No. 35 of 2011))

Article 149 (Newspaper Advertisements) the number of candidates, the type of election defines the allocation of the advertisement. For example, (1) For the election of the House of Representatives (small electoral district election), candidates are allowed to advertise in the newspaper for five times during the election campaign. The advertisement of the political parties are allocated to the maximum of 16 rows in the newspaper, depending on the number of notified candidates.  

(2)For the election of the House of Representatives (proportional representation election), the advertisement of the political parties are allocated to the maximum of 28 rows in the newspaper, depending on the number of notified candidates.  

Article150 (Political Opinion Broadcast) (1)For the election of the House of Representatives (small electoral district election and proportional representation election), the election of the House of Councilors, the election of the prefectural governor, candidates are allowed to broadcast of political views without charge. 

 [description, not direct quote] (Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950 (as amended by Act No. 35 of 2011))

Article 149 (Newspaper Advertisements) the number of candidates, the type of election defines the allocation of the advertisement. For example, (1) For the election of the House of Representatives (small electoral district election), candidates are allowed to advertise in the newspaper for five times during the election campaign. The advertisement of the political parties are allocated to the maximum of 16 rows in the newspaper, depending on the number of notified candidates.  

(2)For the election of the House of Representatives (proportional representation election), the advertisement of the political parties are allocated to the maximum of 28 rows in the newspaper, depending on the number of notified candidates.  

Article150 (Political Opinion Broadcast) (1)For the election of the House of Representatives (small electoral district election and proportional representation election), the election of the House of Councilors, the election of the prefectural governor, candidates are allowed to broadcast of political views without charge. 

 [description, not direct quote] (Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950 (as amended by Act No. 35 of 2011))

Tax relief, premises for campaign meetings, production of posters 

(Source: CESifo DICE (2014) Financing of political parties: Public funding to political parties)

Art 221-222, Vote buying is punished by imprisonment with or without work for not more than 3 years or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen. [description, not direct quote] (Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950 (as amended by Act No. 35 of 2011))

There is no article that puts limits on total party expenditures in the Political Fund Control Act

Article 194 " the  expenditure of  the election campaign  can not exceed the amount stipulated by ordinance."

[description, not direct quote] (Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950 (as amended by Act No. 35 of 2011))

Article 196 " the  limit of the expenditure of  the election campaign shall be stipulated by Election Administration Committee immediately after a public announcement of the election date."

[description, not direct quote] (Source: Public Offices Election Act, 1950 (as amended by Act No. 35 of 2011))

Art 12, Political organizations must submit annual financial reports of their political activities to the prefectural electoral commission or to the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. [description, not direct quote] (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 135 of 2007))

Article189 "A person in charge of the campaign-fund accounting are responsible to submit a report concerning to the donation, income, and expenditure of the candidate to the Election Administration Committee."

(Source: Public Offices Election Act 1950 (as amended by Act No. 8 of 2016))

Article189 "A person in charge of the campaign-fund accounting are responsible to submit a report concerning to the donation, income, and expenditure of the candidate to the Election Administration Committee."

(Source: Public Offices Election Act 1950 (as amended by Act No. 8 of 2016))

Article189 "A person in charge of the campaign-fund accounting are responsible to submit a report concerning to the donation, income, and expenditure of the candidate to the Election Administration Committee."

(Source: Public Offices Election Act 1950 (as amended by Act No. 8 of 2016))

Article192 "the Election Administration Committee needs to make a report public once it receive it from the campaign accountant"

(Source: Public Offices Election Act 1950 (as amended by Act No. 8 of 2016))

Article12"The identity of donors must be disclosed if the donation from the identical person exceeds 50,000 yen."

 (Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 69 of 2014))

A Report Guidance: the report should include the itemaized income  which is composed of 6 categories 

(Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications available at http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000077916.pdf)

Article 20-2 "Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Election Administration Committee shall receive the report from political parties and they need to preserve it"

(Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 69 of 2014))

Article 19-13 "The report should be examined by Public Fund Inspector before the submission of report to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Election Administration Committee."

(Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 69 of 2014))

Article19-3.2 "Political Fund Inspectors shall  inspect  the expenditure statement and transfer statement as well as an account books, adetailed statement, receipt and so forth. " 

19-3.3 "The Political Fund Inspectors are required to make a Political Fund Inspection Report after their respection."

(Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 69 of 2014))

Article 23 "Political Parties which received donations or make a spending in a violation of a law face a penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 1 million yen."

(Source: Political Funds Control Act, 1948 (as amended by Act No. 69 of 2014))