June 15, 2026
TOKYO – The ruling and opposition parties have begun discussing whether the English name of the House of Councillors should be changed.
When visiting overseas, some upper house members have found it difficult to get people to understand their status, as the English term “councillor” often refers to a member of a council or local assembly.
The discussions will be held by the board of the upper house standing committee on rules and administration.
If the change goes ahead, it will be the first time that the upper house has altered its English name since it was established in 1947.
At a meeting of the board on Wednesday, the Liberal Democratic Party said that “Senate” was its preferred name.
According to the secretariat of the upper house, 58 of the 85 countries that have adopted a bicameral system use Senate in the English names of their upper houses, while only 19 use names that include Council.
The origin of the upper house’s current English name is unknown. Its first known usage is an English translation of the Constitution carried in a translated edition of a government gazette.
The idea of changing the name was floated in 2019 in a resolution compiled by the upper house special committee on official development assistance, international cooperation, humanitarian assistance and related matters.
“The fact that the House of Councilors is part of the Diet is not fully understood [overseas], which people have said has hampered upper house members’ activities,” the resolution said.