A country where one in five citizens might be a former president.
(Based on information as of May 2026)
Masa: That's a cool speech...
Emi: Huh? What? Who?
Masa: I was just thinking... Italian Prime Minister Meloni's speech is cool. Even though I don't understand Italian!
Emi: You don't understand it!
Masa: Italy seems to have small countries inside it, so politics must be complicated there.
Emi: That's right, like Vatican City and the Republic of San Marino.
Masa: I have an image of the Vatican being related to Christianity, but what kind of country is San Marino?
Emi: It's said to be the world's oldest republic.
Masa: Oldest? How old is it?
Emi: It was founded in 301, so it has over 1,700 years of history.
Masa: That's older than Italy!
Emi: Yes. And even though it's completely surrounded by Italy, it has maintained its independence for a long time.
Masa: How?
Emi: Because it's on top of a mountain, it was hard to attack—and also, its political system is interesting.
Masa: How so?
Emi: They have two presidents.
Masa: Two!? Which one is the real one? Like a body double?
Emi: Both are real (laughs). And their terms are only six months long before they rotate.
Masa: Isn't six months too short?
Emi: To prevent power from being
concentrated in one person, there are two heads of state called "Captains Regent" who rotate every six months.
Masa: It sounds like
neighborhood association officers
taking turns in rotation!
Emi: (Laughs) "Everyone taking turns" is
the origin of democracy, isn't it?
Masa: If you're not used to it,
there must be things you don't understand or know,
which sounds tough.
Emi: That's true, but because of that,
you can share the hardships of those doing the job,
so there's a good side to it, right?
Masa: But you couldn't do that in Japan, right?
The population is too large!
Emi: That's true, maybe we can only do it
like the neighborhood association rotation I mentioned earlier?
Masa: I see...
Oh, Masami! Tell me more.
Masami: Sure, I can do that.
Masami's Explanation: A Design to "Divide" Power
① Why two people and six months?
When power is concentrated in one person, judgment easily becomes distorted. San Marino has known this for over 1,700 years. By having two people check each other and rotating every six months, they created a system where no one "holds onto it for too long." This is not a coincidence, but an intentional design.
② The "Expiration Date" of Power
A six-month term might seem too short, but it has the effect of "not letting people get used to power." Humans are creatures who, once they hold power, become afraid to let it go. San Marino prevents that psychology through its system.
③ Neighborhood association rotation is the same wisdom
The fact that neighborhood association officers rotate is actually the same structure. By "everyone taking turns," no one person dominates. The scale is completely different, but the wisdom of dispersing power is the same.
References
Constitution of the Republic of San Marino (Leges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini) enacted in 1600: The legal basis that established the two Captains Regent and the six-month term system. One of the world's oldest written constitutions. The official name in Italian is "Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino" (Most Serene Republic of Saint Marinus).
Will Durant "The Story of Civilization" (1935-1975): A monumental historical work documenting the transition of power and democracy from ancient times to the modern era.
Masami: By the way,
the population of San Marino is
about 34,000.
Masa: Huh? How many is that?
Emi: (Laughs) About the number of people at one Yamanote Line station.
Masa: I don't get it!
Masami: That's exactly why it's possible in some ways. However, the wisdom of 'distributing power' is alive regardless of the scale.
Masa: Somehow, San Marino is an amazing country despite being so small.
Emi: Well, they have managed to maintain their independence for 1,700 years.
Masa: I wonder how many presidents they've had in 1,700 years.
Emi: If you calculate it... about 6,800 people! One in five citizens is a former president!
Masa: What?
Emi: The guy next door is basically a former president (laughs).
Masa: I'd rather meet Meloni than a former president of San Marino!
Emi: Back to that again, huh...
Masami's Afterword
The design of 'not holding too much' power was something San Marino already knew 1,700 years ago.
Large countries need large systems. But the human nature that 'things get distorted if someone holds power for too long' is the same regardless of the size of the country.
When the neighborhood association rotation feels a bit troublesome—that might be a small inheritance of 1,700 years of wisdom.
Are you participating in the 'rotations' around you, or is someone else supporting them?
Lupin the Third set in San Marino (TMS Anime Official Channel) ▼
