The is the name of several liberal political parties in the history of Japan, two of which existed in the Empire of Japan prior to 1945.
The first Liberal Party of Japan was formed on October 18, 1881, by Itagaki Taisuke and other members of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (League for the Establishment of a National Assembly) to agitate for the establishment of a national assembly, with a membership based on the ideals of liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy. It attracted a wide following of former samurai who were discontent because they were no longer an elite class and no longer received stipends from the government. The Jiyà «tà  also aimed for suffrage for samurai and an elected assembly in each prefecture. Itagaki was party president, with Nakajima Nobuyuki as vice-president. Other notable members included Gotà  Shà Âjirà Â, Baba Tatsui, Tetchà  Suehiro, Ueki Emori, and Nakae Chà Âmin.
The Meiji government viewed the growth of the Jiyà «tà  with misgivings, suspecting it of harboring tendencies towards republicanism. The party was also made vulnerable due to peasant uprisings in rural areas led or inspired by local Jiyà «tà  members. The Jiyà «tà  voted to dissolve itself on October 29, 1884, on the eve of the Chichibu Incident.
In 1887, Gotà  Shojirà  regrouped some members of the former Jiyà «tà  into a proto-party called the Daidà  Danketsu Movement. The Daidà  Danketsu split into two groups (Daidà  Club led by Kà Âno Hironaka and Daidà  Kyà Âwakai led by à Âi Kentarà  and Nakae Chà Âmin ) in March 1889. In 1890, they were merged by Itagaki Taisuke to form the Constitutional Liberal Party, which was later renamed the Liberal Party. Some politicians who supported Gotà  didn't join this party and formed National Liberal Party.