The cabinet consists of the prime minister and 17 ministers and is collectively responsible to the Diet. The prime minister, who in practice is always a member of the House of Representatives, is elected by the members of the Diet. As of the end of March 1995 there are approximately 1,164,000 national public employees, including the Self Defense Force personnel in Japan. In addition to these courts, there is a court of impeachment in the Diet to try judges whose dismissal is sought. The two major religions in Japan are Buddhism and Shintoism.
Compulsory education extends from age six to fifteen.
It remained between 30 and 33 million until the mid 19th century. In 1891 it reached 40 million and grew to 50 million by 1912. It passed 60 million and 70 million in 1926 and 1936 respectively. And it reached 80 million in 1948, three years after the war when Japan saw the postwar baby boom. The Japanese population grew to 100 million 30 years ago in 1967, and the latest 1995 census recorded 125,570,246.