解散

• Reading: かいさん
• Romaji: kaisan
• Kanji breakdown: 解 (kai) — dissolve, undo; 散 (san) — scatter, disperse
• Pronunciation: /ka.i.san/

Meaning

Dissolution (of parliament); disbanding. The formal termination of an assembly or organisation.

A noun and する verb with two main political meanings in Japan: (1) 衆議院解散 — the dissolution of the House of Representatives, triggering a general election; (2) the disbanding of any organisation or group. The prime minister's power to dissolve the lower house is a defining feature of Japanese parliamentary politics. The phrase 解散総選挙 (dissolution and general election) is common in news media.

Examples

1. 首相は突然の解散を表明し、与野党を驚かせた。 The prime minister announced a sudden dissolution, surprising both ruling and opposition parties.
2. 衆議院解散後、各党は選挙戦に向けた準備を加速させた。 After the dissolution of the House of Representatives, each party accelerated preparations for the election campaign.
3. 不正行為が発覚した団体は、当局の命令により解散を余儀なくされた。 The organisation in which misconduct was discovered was forced to disband on orders from the authorities.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, parliament, law, organisations

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 解 (kai, dissolve/undo) and 散 (san, scatter/disperse). A classical Sino-Japanese compound applied in modern Japanese to parliamentary dissolution and organisational termination.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal