the Diet
国会
Japan's parliament, and under Article 41 the only body that can make an Act (法律). It has two chambers, the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, both made up of elected members (Articles 42 and 43). It designates the Prime Minister, approves the budget and treaties, and can start the process of amending the Constitution. A Cabinet Order (政令) or Ministerial Order (省令) may impose a duty or a penalty only where an Act the Diet passed says it may.
Written by AI using Constitution, Arts. 41, 42, 43 and Wikipedia: National Diet as a reference.
House of Councillors
参議院
The upper of the Diet's two chambers (Article 42). Its members serve six years, half of them elected every three years, and it is never dissolved (Article 46) — so it always has sitting members, where the House of Representatives can have none. That is not the same as always being open: when the House of Representatives is dissolved the House of Councillors is closed at the same time, and during that closure it sits only if the Cabinet calls it into emergency session because the country needs one (Article 54, paragraph (2)).
Written by AI using Constitution, Arts. 42, 46, 54 and Wikipedia: House of Councillors (Japan) as a reference.
House of Representatives
衆議院
The lower of the Diet's two chambers (Article 42). Its members serve four years, and the term ends early whenever the House is dissolved (Article 45) — which is the difference that matters: the House of Councillors cannot be dissolved. Where the two chambers disagree, the House of Representatives can prevail, on an Act by passing it again with two thirds of the members present (Article 59, paragraph (2)), and on the budget, treaties and the choice of Prime Minister by its decision simply becoming the Diet's.
Written by AI using Constitution, Arts. 42, 45, 59, 60, 61, 67 and Wikipedia: House of Representatives (Japan) as a reference.