JLPT N1 Politics & Law Vocabulary (2026)
Complete JLPT N1 Politics & Law vocabulary with readings and example sentences (70 words).
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This set covers 70 N1-level words spanning government structure, the Diet and elections, diplomacy, and the criminal justice system. It is the formal, Sino-Japanese vocabulary of news broadcasts, editorials, and legal documents — exactly the register N1 test-takers are expected to parse at speed rather than meet for the first time.
This article is part of our JLPT N1 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 70 words with the Politics & Law Vocabulary deck in Onigiri Anki.
Governance & Political Systems (12)
Abstract vocabulary for how a state is structured and ruled — sovereignty, forms of government, administration, and shifts in the political landscape — the register used in constitutional commentary and political analysis.
その国は強い指導者に統治されていました。 — The country was governed by a strong leader.
王が幼かったので、摂政が国を治めた。 — Because the king was young, the regent governed the country.
市長の施政は市民の信頼を得た。 — The mayor's administration won the trust of the citizens.
その独裁者は専制的な統治で国を治めた。 — The dictator ruled the country with despotic rule.
国家の主権は尊重されなければならない。 — A nation's sovereignty must be respected.
法治の社会では、誰もが平等に扱われる。 — In a rule-of-law society, everyone is treated equally.
内政が大きな争点になった。 — Domestic politics became a major issue.
新しい憲法が政体を変えた。 — The new constitution changed the political system.
環境保護はこの国の国是だ。 — Environmental protection is this country's national policy.
政局は一夜で変わった。 — The political situation changed overnight.
両党は選挙に勝つために政略を練った。 — The two parties devised political strategies to win the election.
急な政変に皆が驚いた。 — The sudden upheaval in politics surprised everyone.
The Diet, Elections & Officialdom (15)
Words for Japan's legislative machinery and the people who run it: the Diet's two houses, cabinet procedure, elections, and the appointment or removal of officials — everyday vocabulary in domestic political news.
理事会はその議決を全会一致で可決しました。 — The board unanimously passed the resolution.
閣議で新しい方針が承認された。 — A new policy was approved at the cabinet meeting.
その法案は衆議院を通過した。 — The bill passed the House of Representatives.
その法案は参議院に送られた。 — The bill was sent to the House of Councillors.
古い制度の改廃が議論された。 — The revision and abolition of the old system were discussed.
その政令は今朝公布された。 — The cabinet order was published this morning.
市長は公選で選ばれた。 — The mayor was chosen by popular election.
知事は汚職事件で罷免された。 — The governor was dismissed over the corruption scandal.
内閣は数人の閣僚を更迭した。 — The cabinet replaced several ministers.
この選挙区は競争が激しい。 — This electoral district is highly competitive.
彼はようやく衆議院で議席を得た。 — He finally won a seat in the lower house.
代議士が被災地を訪れた。 — A diet member visited the damaged area.
党派がいくつかに分かれて対立している。 — The factions are divided into several groups and are in conflict.
高官が緊急会議に出席した。 — A senior official attended the emergency meeting.
大臣は一日中、政務に追われていた。 — The minister was busy with government affairs all day.
Diplomacy & International Relations (12)
Vocabulary for relations between states: treaties, envoys, and peace talks alongside the language of coercion, exile, and citizenship that recurs in international reporting.
両国は新しい協定を結んだ。 — The two countries signed a new agreement.
使節は大臣と会談した。 — The envoy met with the minister.
大使は信任状を提出した。 — The ambassador presented his letter of credentials.
両国の国交が回復した。 — Diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored.
講和交渉は夜遅くまで続いた。 — The peace negotiations continued late into the night.
その兵士は威嚇し、相手を従わせた。 — The soldier intimidated the other side and made them obey.
長い抑圧は人の価値観をゆがめる。 — Long oppression distorts people's values.
政府によるデモへの弾圧は厳しかった。 — The government's crackdown on the demonstrations was severe.
強い制裁は攻撃を抑止する。 — Strong sanctions deter attacks.
その作家は政権を批判して亡命した。 — The writer went into exile after criticizing the regime.
亡命政府は国際社会に支援を求めた。 — The government in exile called for international support.
彼は外国籍を取得した。 — He acquired foreign nationality.
Court Proceedings & Rulings (13)
Words tracing a case through the judicial system, from filing and deliberation through mediation to the ladder of appeals — core vocabulary for reading about court proceedings.
最終的な裁断は私に任せてください。 — Please leave the final decision to me.
その裁定は簡単には受け入れられなかった。 — The arbitration award was not easy to accept.
裁判所は三日間にわたって審理を続けた。 — The court continued its deliberations for three days.
その争いは調停で解決した。 — The dispute was settled through mediation.
両社は仲裁で争いを解決した。 — The two companies settled the dispute through arbitration.
裁判所は原告の申し立てを棄却した。 — The court dismissed the plaintiff’s request.
書類に不備があったため、申請は却下された。 — The application was rejected because the documents were incomplete.
彼は最高裁に上告した。 — He appealed to the Supreme Court.
彼女は地裁の判決に控訴した。 — She appealed the district court’s judgment.
私はその決定に抗告した。 — I filed an appeal against the decision.
彼は警察に事情を陳述した。 — He gave a statement to the police about the circumstances.
裁判官は証人を尋問した。 — The judge interrogated the witness.
検察はその事件で立件した。 — The prosecution filed charges in the case.
Criminal Punishment & Clemency (12)
Vocabulary for penalties and their mitigation: prison terms, seizure of assets, and forms of clemency such as parole and pardon — common in crime and justice reporting.
彼は一か月間、拘禁された。 — He was held in confinement for a month.
税務署は彼の口座を差し押さえた。 — The tax office seized his bank account.
盗品は国に没収された。 — The stolen goods were confiscated by the state.
彼は三年間服役している。 — He has been serving a prison sentence for three years.
彼は先月、仮釈放された。 — He was released on parole last month.
天皇はその囚人を特赦した。 — The emperor granted a special pardon to the prisoner.
政府は多くの囚人に恩赦を与えた。 — The government granted amnesty to many prisoners.
税務署は追徴を行った。 — The tax office levied an additional charge.
彼は懲役3年を言い渡された。 — He was sentenced to three years in prison with labor.
裁判所は禁錮3年を言い渡した。 — The court handed down a sentence of three years' imprisonment without labor.
裁判所は死刑を維持した。 — The court upheld the death penalty.
彼は執行猶予付きの判決を受けた。 — He received a suspended sentence.
Legal Principles & Compliance (6)
Core legal concepts for judging correctness and validity — constitutionality, precedent, rectification, and fulfillment of obligations — that underpin editorial and legal argument.
格差の是正が求められている。 — Correction of inequality is being demanded.
物事の是非を冷静に考えることが大切です。 — It is important to judge right and wrong calmly.
その法律は違憲だと裁判所が判断した。 — The court ruled that the law was unconstitutional.
その法律は合憲だと最高裁が判断した。 — The Supreme Court ruled that the law was constitutional.
その判断は重要な判例に従っている。 — That judgment follows an important precedent.
彼は彼女との約束を履行しなかった。 — He did not fulfill the promise he made to her.
The 政 compounds: same kanji, different roles
Eight words in this list build on 政 (sei, government/politics) but combine it in different grammatical roles: as a standalone-feeling noun (政局, political situation; 政略, political strategy; 政変, upheaval), fused with a scope-marking kanji (内政, domestic affairs; 施政, administration exercised; 政体, the form a government takes), or as a bureaucratic suffix (政令, a cabinet order issued under delegated authority; 政務, the routine business of governing). Because all eight share the on'yomi セイ and the same first kanji, listening sections rely on the second kanji, not context, to carry the distinguishing meaning. A related trap is 国是 (kokuze, national policy) and 是正 (zesei, rectification), which both use 是 but in unrelated senses — 是 as 'correct/right' versus 是 as a stand-in for 'established policy'.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 却下 and 棄却 — both are translated as 'dismissal'?
却下 (kyakka) dismisses a petition or appeal on procedural grounds, without the court examining its substance — for example, a missed deadline or wrong jurisdiction. 棄却 (kikyaku) dismisses it after the court has reviewed the merits and found the claim invalid. The appeal ladder uses a related distinction: 控訴 (kouso) is the first appeal from a district court to a high court, 上告 (joukoku) is the further appeal to the Supreme Court on narrower legal grounds, and 抗告 (koukoku) challenges a procedural ruling (決定) rather than a full judgment (判決).
How do 恩赦 and 特赦 differ, and how do both relate to 仮釈放?
恩赦 (onsha, amnesty) is a blanket act of clemency applied to a category of offenses, often proclaimed to mark a national event. 特赦 (tokusha, special pardon) is granted to a specific individual after case-by-case review and typically clears the conviction itself. 仮釈放 (karishakuhou, parole) is different in kind: it releases someone under supervision before their sentence ends without erasing the conviction, whereas 恩赦 and 特赦 can void the sentence or conviction outright.
威嚇, 抑止, 抑圧, and 弾圧 all touch on 'suppression' — how do they differ?
抑止 (yokushi, deterrence) is proactive and often neutral or strategic, as in 核抑止 (nuclear deterrence). 威嚇 (ikaku, intimidation) is a threatening display, such as a show of military force, without necessarily following through. 抑圧 (yokuatsu, oppression) describes sustained, structural suppression of a group or freedom, while 弾圧 (danatsu, crackdown) is a more active, often violent state response to dissent, such as a crackdown on protesters. All four appear regularly in reporting on authoritarian states and international conflict.
Practice All 70 Politics & Law Vocabulary Words
Import the Politics & Law Vocabulary deck into Onigiri Anki and master this category with spaced repetition.