The was a political party in Japan that existed between 1948 and 1955. History Following the defeat of the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) in 1948 at the hands of Japan's two main conservative parties, the Liberal Party and the Democrat Party, the Japan Socialist Party dissolved into chaos and internal bickering between moderate reformist socialists and more radical revolutionary socialists. The SDPJ 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 () 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 1948 and 1955. In early 1955, the Left and Right Socialists reconciled and merged to reform the JSP, months before the Liberal Democrat 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. Election results House of Representatives House of Councillors See also Itsurō Sakisaka List of political parties in Japan Politics of Japan References Defunct political parties in Japan Far-left political parties Far-left politics in Japan Marxist organizations Political parties established in 1948 Political parties disestablished in 1955 Socialism in Japan Socialist parties in Japan