参議院

• Reading: さんぎいん
• Romaji: sangiin
• Kanji breakdown: 参 (san) — participate, consult; 議 (gi) — deliberation, discussion; 院 (in) — institution, chamber
• Pronunciation: /saɴ.ɡi.iɴ/

Meaning

House of Councillors. The upper house of Japan's bicameral National Diet (parliament).

A noun referring to the upper chamber of the Japanese parliament (国会). Members serve six-year terms, with half elected every three years. Compared to the 衆議院 (House of Representatives), the 参議院 is considered more deliberative and less partisan. Often appears in news about elections, legislation, and political debates.

Examples

1. 参議院の選挙は三年ごとに行われる。 Elections for the House of Councillors are held every three years.
2. その法案は参議院で否決された。 That bill was rejected by the House of Councillors.
3. 参議院と衆議院の両方で可決されないと法律にならない。 A bill must be passed by both the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives to become law.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, news, government

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 参 (san, participate/consult) + 議 (gi, deliberation) + 院 (in, institution/chamber). Literally 'the chamber that participates in deliberation.'

Cultural Context

Era: Post-war

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal