Photo/Illutration The Diet building in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

After the Oct. 27 Lower House election left no party with a majority, I’ve been thinking about “yato,” or the opposition.

What exactly is the opposition, and since when has it been around in Japan?

Around the time the Imperial Diet was established in 1890, The Asahi Shimbun had already started using the term “zaiyato,” a party out of power, to refer to the opposition.

The term was gradually replaced by “yato” over time. It has been less than a century since the word “yato” entered the common lexicon.

Initially, when the word “zaiyato” began to be used, alternative terms like “hantaito” (opposing party) and “hiseifuto” (nongovernment party) were also used.

I feel that these words seem to convey the concept of “parties not in power” more clearly.

As the system of parliamentary government was still in its dawning age, newspapers may have been searching for the right general term to refer to parties that were not taking part in the government.

In political science, too, the opposition has not been an easy subject of study. One reason is the difficulty of defining the term.

Since opposition parties take widely different positions, such as aiming to come into power by replacing the ruling party or maintaining a presence distinct from the government, systematic study of the opposition is challenging, according to “Yato to wa Nanika” (what is the opposition), written and edited by political scientist Toru Yoshida.

The Democratic Party for the People, a centrist opposition party that sharply increased its seats in the election, has been eagerly approached by both camps.

The DPP claims to keep an “equal distance” from all parties, and when asked about its intention to form a “partial” alliance with the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, Komeito, the DPP has denied having any interest in the prospect.

In the expected runoff vote in the Diet to elect the prime minister, which will be contested between the leaders of the two largest parties, namely the LDP and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the DPP seems to be opting against abstaining and instead will write “Yuichiro Tamaki,” the name of the DPP leader. These votes would be considered invalid.

This tactic is designed to give the impression that the DPP is not too keen on the idea of a “partial coalition.”

As the DPP is in a position to influence the political landscape with only 28 Lower House seats, the party is clearly intent on leveraging the advantageous position to the fullest.

The question is whether this can lead to the political reforms that voters desire.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba describes the misery he experienced when the LDP was in the opposition in his book “Kokunan” (National crisis).

“First of all, no one comes (to the party). … Suddenly, the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party began looking deserted,” he wrote.

An opposition party faces a long road in its quest to become “yoto,” a ruling party, but there are no easy shortcuts.

The greatest raison d’etre of the opposition lies in monitoring the government.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 3

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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