Diet members are often addressed as "sensei" (teacher) and seem to enjoy privileges ranging from high salaries and chauffeur-driven cars to free first-class flights and luxury "green car" seats in bullet trains.
But what do they do every day? Are they always in Tokyo working in the Diet? Can anyone become a lawmaker?
Following are basic questions and answers about being a national lawmaker:
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.