View source for Left Socialist Party of Japan

{{about|the Japanese political party that existed from 1951 to 1955|other Japanese socialist parties|Japan Socialist Party (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| native_name      = {{nobold|{{nihongo2|社会党左派}}<br>{{transl|ja|Shakaitō-saha}}}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| colorcode        = {{party color|Leftist Socialist Party of Japan}}
| foundation       = {{start date and age|1951}}
| dissolution      = {{end date and age|1955}}
| split            = [[Japan Socialist Party]]
| merged           = [[Japan Socialist Party]] (1955)
| headquarters     = [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
| ideology         = {{ubl|[[Marxism]]|[[Revolutionary socialism]]}}
| position         = [[Left-wing politics|Left-wing]] to [[Far-left politics|far-left]]
| colors           = {{color box|{{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}} [[Red]]
| country          = Japan
}}
The {{nihongo|'''Left Socialist Party of Japan'''|社会党左派|Shakaitō-saha}} was a [[political party]] in Japan that existed between 1951 and 1955.<ref>{{cite book|title=Japanese Economic Development: Markets, Norms, Structures|publisher=Routledge|date=2007|first=Carl|last=Mosk|page=239|isbn=9781135982898}}</ref>

== History ==
Following the signing of the [[San Francisco Peace Treaty]] in 1951, the [[Japan Socialist Party]] dissolved into chaos and internal bickering between moderate [[reformist socialist]]s and more radical [[revolutionary socialists]] over the issue of whether or not to support the Treaty. The JSP split, with some of its members forming a more centrist [[social-democratic]] party, while others formed a more radical socialist party. Both groups claimed the name ''Nihon Shakaitō'' ({{lang|ja|日本社会党}}) but different English translations, and are known as the Left Socialist Party of Japan and the [[Right Socialist Party of Japan]], respectively.

The [[left-wing]] in Japan was in chaos between 1951 and 1955. In early 1955, the Left and Right Socialists reconciled and merged to reform the JSP, months before the [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]] was created through a merger of the Liberal and Democrat parties. The Left Socialists generally had the upper hand in the reunified JSP, causing a few former Right Socialists to leave the party in 1960 to create the [[Democratic Socialist Party (Japan)|Democratic Socialist Party]].

==Election results==
===House of Representatives===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Election
! Leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Position
! Status
|-
| [[1952 Japanese general election|1952]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Mosaburō Suzuki]]
| 3,398,597
| 9.62
| {{Composition bar|54|466|hex={{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}}
| ''new''
| 4th
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
| [[1953 Japanese general election|1953]]
| 4,516,715
| 13.05
| {{Composition bar|72|446|hex={{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}}
| {{increase}} 18
| rowspan="2" | 3rd
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
| [[1955 Japanese general election|1955]]
| 5,683,312
| 15.35
| {{Composition bar|89|446|hex={{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}}
| {{increase}} 17
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|}

===House of Councillors===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" | Election
! rowspan="2" | Leader
! colspan="3" | Constituency
! colspan="3" | Party list
! colspan="2" | Seats
! rowspan="2" | Position
! rowspan="2" | Status
|-
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! Won
! Total
|-
| [[1953 Japanese House of Councillors election|1953]]
| [[Mosaburō Suzuki]]
| 3,917,837
| 13.99
| {{Composition bar|10|75|hex={{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}}
| 3,858,552
| 14.27
| {{Composition bar|8|53|hex={{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}}
| {{Composition bar|18|128|hex={{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}}
| {{Composition bar|40|250|hex={{party color|Left Socialist Party of Japan}}}}
| 2nd
| {{No2|Opposition}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[Itsurō Sakisaka]]
* [[List of political parties in Japan]]
* [[Politics of Japan]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Communism in Japan}}
{{Social Democratic Party (Japan)}}
[[Category:Defunct political parties in Japan]]
[[Category:Far-left political parties]]
[[Category:Far-left politics in Japan]]
[[Category:Japan Socialist Party breakaway groups]]
[[Category:Marxist organizations]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1955]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1951]]
[[Category:Socialism in Japan]]
[[Category:Socialist parties in Japan]]
{{Japan-party-stub}}