J apan has a democratic system of government. All Japanese people can vote once they reach the age of 20. Once elected to the Diet, legislators vote on laws for the country. The Japanese do not elect a president directly, like the Americans or the French.
Japan has a parliamentary cabinet system of government like Britain and Canada.
This means that Diet members elect a prime minister from among themselves, who then forms a cabinet and administers the nation. The current prime minister is Yoshiro Mori. The government is divided into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Emperor of Japan is a symbol of the state and the unity of the people. He is not involved in the government of Japan.