ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the circumstances surrounding the birth of the Democratic Socialist party (DSP) during some of the most traumatic events experienced by Japan in the postwar political experience. The DSP is often viewed by many Japanese as the political arm of Domei, the All-Japan Labor Federation. The DSP cannot survive without the organizational and financial support of Domei. In addition to its Domei support, the DSP has significant support among religious organizations. In the 1963 general elections, the DSP leadership changed its strategy and sharply reduced to 59 the number of its candidates running in targeted districts. Twenty-three were elected in 1963; 30 and 31 DSP candidates were victorious in 1967 and 1969, respectively. There are several ways to measure popular support for a political party in a democratic society. The most obvious was the vote-drawing power of the party can be clearly seen in the vote totals it accumulates in the various electoral arenas.
