The Diet is the center of Japanese politics. It's where ruling and opposition lawmakers play power games and employ tactics in both open and backroom negotiations. With this year's ordinary legislative session set to start Thursday, following are some basic facts about the parliamentary system:
Why is the legislature called the Diet?
The prewar parliament under the Meiji Constitution was modeled on that of imperial Germany, which is called the Diet in English. The term dates to the assembly of the Holy Roman Empire, which ruled most of Central Europe from 962 to 1806. Imperial Germany was chosen as the state model because Japanese leaders wanted a powerful system centered on the Emperor.