(さんぎいん)

さんぎいん
noun
House of Councillors; upper house
1. House of Councillors; upper house of the Japanese Diet
The upper house of the National Diet of Japan. Members serve six-year terms, with half elected every three years. It has 248 seats.
参議院(さんぎいん)選挙(せんきょ)来月(らいげつ)だ。
The House of Councillors election is next month.
その法案(ほうあん)参議院(さんぎいん)否決(ひけつ)された。
The bill was rejected by the House of Councillors.
参議院(さんぎいん)議員(ぎいん)任期(にんき)六年(ろくねん)で、三年(さんねん)ごとに半数(はんすう)改選(かいせん)される。
Members of the House of Councillors serve six-year terms, with half being re-elected every three years.

USAGE:
参議院(さんぎいん) is the upper house of Japan's bicameral 国会(こっかい) (National Diet). It is sometimes called the "house of careful deliberation" because it reviews legislation passed by the lower house.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 参議院(さんぎいん)選挙(せんきょ) (House of Councillors election)
  • 参議院(さんぎいん)議員(ぎいん) (member of the House of Councillors)
  • 参議院(さんぎいん)本会議(ほんかいぎ) (plenary session of the House of Councillors)

STRUCTURE:
Japan's Diet consists of two houses: the 衆議院(しゅうぎいん) (House of Representatives, lower house) and the 参議院(さんぎいん) (House of Councillors, upper house). The lower house has greater legislative power.