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House of Representatives (Japan)

The House of Representatives (Japanese: 衆議院, Hepburn: Shūgiin) is the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors is the upper house. The composition of the House is established by Article 41 [ja] and Article 42 [ja] of the Constitution of Japan.[1] The House of Representatives has 465 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 176 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation, and 289 are elected from single-member constituencies.

House of Representatives

衆議院

Shūgiin
215th Session of the National Diet
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Fukushiro Nukaga, LDP
since 20 October 2023
Kōichirō Genba, CDP
since 11 November 2024
Shigeru Ishiba, LDP
since 1 October 2024
Yoshihiko Noda, CDP
since 23 September 2024
Structure
Seats465
Political groups
Government (221)
  •   LDP (197)[a]
  •   Kōmeitō (24)

Opposition (242)

Unaffiliated (2)

Committees17 committees
Length of term
Up to 4 years
SalarySpeaker: ¥2,170,000/m
Vice Speaker: ¥1,584,000/m
Members: ¥1,294,000/m
Elections
Parallel voting:
First-past-the-post voting (289 seats)
Party-list proportional representation (176 seats)
First election
1 July 1890
Last election
27 October 2024
Next election
No later than 22 October 2028
Meeting place
Chamber of the House of Representatives
Website
www.shugiin.go.jp Edit this at Wikidata

The overall voting system used to elect the House of Representatives is a parallel system, a form of semi-proportional representation. Under a parallel system, the allocation of list seats does not take into account the outcome in the single seat constituencies. Therefore, the overall allocation of seats in the House of Representatives is not proportional, to the advantage of larger parties. In contrast, in bodies such as the German Bundestag or the New Zealand Parliament the election of single-seat members and party list members is linked, so that the overall result respects proportional representation fully or to some degree.[citation needed]

The House of Representatives is the more powerful of the two houses, able to override vetoes on bills imposed by the House of Councillors with a two-thirds majority.[2][3][4]

The last election for the House of Representatives was held on October 27, 2024, in which the Liberal Democratic Party and their coalition partner Komeito failed to reach a majority of 233 seats, instead winning 215, 18 short of a majority.

Right to vote and candidature

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  • Japanese nationals aged 18 years and older may vote (prior to 2016, the voting age was 20).[5]
  • Japanese nationals aged 25 years and older may run for office in the lower house.

Differences between the Upper and Lower Houses

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The House of Representatives has several powers not given to the House of Councillors. If a bill is passed by the lower house (the House of Representatives) but is voted down by the upper house (the House of Councillors) the House of Representatives can override the decision of the House of Councillors by a two-thirds vote in the affirmative. However, in the case of treaties, the budget, and the selection of the prime minister, the House of Councillors can only delay passage, but not block the legislation. As a result, the House of Representatives is considered the more powerful house.

Members of the House of Representatives, who are elected to a maximum of four years, sit for a shorter term than members of the House of Councillors, who are elected to full six-year terms. The lower house can also be dissolved by the Prime Minister or the passage of a nonconfidence motion, while the House of Councillors cannot be dissolved. Thus the House of Representatives is considered to be more sensitive to public opinion, and is termed the "lower house".

While the legislative term is nominally 4 years, early elections for the lower house are very common, and the median lifespan of postwar legislatures has in practice been around 3 years.

Current composition

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Composition of the House of Representatives of Japan
(as of November 11, 2024, first day of the 215th National Diet)[6] (elected in 2024; term: 27 October 2024 – 2028 or earlier dissolution)
 
Parliamentary groups/caucuses Parties Seats
Liberal Democratic Party/Assembly of independents
Jiyūminshutō・mushozoku no kai 		Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
Independents 		196
Constitutional Democratic Party/Independents
Rikken Minshutō・mushozoku 		Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP)
Social Democratic Party (SDP) 		148
Nippon Ishin no Kai
Nippon Ishin no Kai 		Nippon Ishin no Kai 38
Democratic Party for the People/Independent club
Kokumin Minshutō・mushozoku club		 Democratic Party For the People (DPFP) 28
Komeito
Kōmeitō		 Komeito 24
Reiwa Shinsengumi
Reiwa Shinsengumi		 Reiwa Shinsengumi 9
Japanese Communist Party
Nihon Kyōsantō		 Japanese Communist Party (JCP) 8
Yūshi no Kai
Yūshi no kai		 Independents 4
Sanseitō
Sanseitō		 Sanseitō 3
Conservative Party of Japan
Nippon Hoshutō		 Conservative Party of Japan 3
Independents (not member of a caucus)
Mushozoku		 Independents (not member of a party)
LDP (Speaker)
CDP (Vice-Speaker) 		4
Total 465


For a list of majoritarian members and proportional members from Hokkaidō, see the List of members of the Diet of Japan.

Latest election result

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Main article: 2024 Japanese general election § Results
 
PartyProportionalConstituencyTotal
seats		+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Liberal Democratic Party14,582,69026.735920,867,76238.46132191–68
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan11,564,22221.204415,740,86029.01104148+52
Japan Innovation Party5,105,1279.36156,048,10411.152338–3
Democratic Party For the People6,172,43411.32172,349,5844.331128+17
Komeito5,964,41510.9320730,4011.35424–8
Reiwa Shinsengumi3,805,0606.989425,4450.7809+6
Japanese Communist Party3,362,9666.1673,695,8076.8118–2
Sanseitō1,870,3473.4331,357,1892.5003New
Conservative Party of Japan1,145,6222.10295,6130.1813New
Social Democratic Party934,5981.710283,2870.52110
Collaborative Party23,7840.04029,2750.05000
Association to Consider the Euthanasia System18,4550.03000New
Conservative Party of Japan (Ishihama)21,6710.0400New
Kawaguchi Vigilante Group9,3480.0200New
Third Way Party6,0330.0100New
Party that Ends the Liberal Democratic Party4,4240.0100New
Party of the Heart1,7490.0000New
Money for Everyone5300.0000New
Other parties60,2240.1100–
Independents2,534,5714.6712120
Total54,549,720100.0017654,261,877100.002894650
Valid votes54,549,72097.5354,261,87797.01
Invalid/blank votes1,379,0792.471,672,5772.99
Total votes55,928,799100.0055,934,454100.00
Registered voters/turnout103,880,74953.84103,880,74953.84
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Historical composition

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Before World War II (1890–1942)

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  Shakai Taishūtō
  Shakai Minshū-tō and misc. socialist
  Rikken Minseitō
  Jiyūtō
  Kensei Hontō
  Kokumintō
  Dōshikai
  Kenseikai
  Seiyūhontō
  Others
  Independent
  Taiseikai
  Kenseitō
  Kaishintō / Shimpotō
  Shōwakai
  Teikokutō
  Rikken Seiyūkai
  Kokumin Kyōkai
  Kokumin Dōmei
  Tōhōkai
  Taisei Yokusankai
Election Total
seats		 Composition
1st
(1890) 		300
130 5 45 79 41
2nd
(1892)
94 124 44 38
3rd
(Mar.
1894)
120 51 34 60 35
4th
(Sep.
1894)
107 48 64 49 32
5th
(Mar.
1898)
105 26 37 103 29
6th
(Aug.
1898)
9 26 244 21
7th
(1902) 		376
95 41 32 17 191
8th
(1903)
85 44 55 17 175
9th
(1904) 		379
90 82 55 19 133
10th
(1908)
70 58 64 187
11th
(1912) 		381
95 31 46 209
12th
(1915)
27 153 45 48 108
13th
(1917)
35 121 60 165
14th
(1920) 		464
29 110 47 278
15th
(1924)
30 151 111 69 103
16th
(1928) 		466
7 216 7 19 217
17th
(1930)
5 273 9 5 174
18th
(1932)
5 146 2 12 301
19th
(1936)
18 205 34 20 174 15
20th
(1937)
37 179 34 19 175 11 11
21st
(1942)
85 381

After World War II (since 1946)

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  JCP
  Shakaitō-saha
  JSP
  Shakaitō-uha
  Labourers and Farmers Party
  Nihon Kyōdōtō / Kokumin Kyōdōtō
  Others
  Independent
  Vacant
  Nihon Nōmintō
  Kaishintō
  Nihon Shinpotō
  Minshutō
  Nihon Minshutō
  Liberal Party–Hatoyama
  Nihon Jiyūtō / Minshujiyūtō / Jiyūtō
Election Total
seats		 Composition
22nd
(1946)[e] 		466
6 92 14 38 81 2 94 141
23rd
(1947)[e]
4 143 31 17 12 2 4 124 131
24th
(1949)[e]
35 48 7 14 17 12 69 264
25th
(1952)
54 57 4 7 19 85 240
26th
(1953)
1 72 66 5 1 11 76 35 199
27th
(1955) 		467
2 89 67 4 2 5 185 112
  JCP
  JSP
  Reiwa Shinsengumi
  SDP
  Minsha-tō
  Tomorrow Party of Japan
  SDF
  Minshutō
  CDPJ
  Shintō Sakigake
  NFP
  Minshutō
  Others
  Independent
  DPFP
  Jiyū-tō
  Nihon Shintō
  Kōmeitō / Komeito
  JRP
  Minna no Tō
  Ishin no Tō
  Shin-jiyū-kurabu
  PNP
  NCP
  Ishin
  Kibō no Tō
  LDP
  Nippon Ishin no Kai
  Sanseitō
  Conservative Party of Japan
Election Total
seats		 Composition
28th
(1958) 		467
1 166 1 12 287
29th
(1960)
3 145 17 1 5 296
30th
(1963)
5 144 23 12 283
31st
(1967) 		486
5 140 30 9 25 277
32nd
(1969)
14 90 31 16 47 288
33rd
(1972) 		491
38 118 19 2 14 29 271
34th
(1976) 		511
17 123 29 21 55 17 249
35th
(1979)
39 107 35 2 19 57 4 248
36th
(1980)
29 107 32 3 11 33 12 284
37th
(1983)
26 112 38 3 16 58 8 250
38th
(1986) 		512
26 85 26 4 9 56 6 300
39th
(1990)
16 136 14 4 1 21 45 275
40th
(1993) 		511
15 70 15 4 13 30 35 51 55 223
41st
(1996) 		500
26 15 2 156 52 1 9 239
42nd
(2000) 		480
20 19 127 6 15 22 31 7 233
43rd
(2003)
9 6 177 2 11 34 4 237
44th
(2005)
9 7 113 2 18 31 4 239
45th
(2009)
9 7 308 2 6 21 5 3 119
46th
(2012)
8 2 9 57 1 5 31 18 1 54 294
47th
(2014) 		475
21 2 73 4 8 35 41 291
48th
(2017) 		465
12 2 55 22 29 11 50 284
49th
(2021)
10 3 1 96 10 11 32 41 261
50th
(2024)
8 9 1 148 12 28 24 38 3 3 191

Election results for major parties since 1958

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Shaded

  • green: Ruling party/coalition before and after the lower house election
  • red: Ruling party/coalition until the election = Change of government as a result of the lower house election
  • blue: Ruling party/coalition after the election = Change of government as a result of the lower house election
  • none: Opposition before and after the election

Note that the composition of the ruling coalition may change between lower house elections, e.g. after upper house elections. Parties who vote with the government in the Diet, but are not part of the cabinet (e.g. SDP & NPH after the 1996 election) are not shaded.

Parallel electoral system (since 1996)

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Vote and seats by party and segment
Parties Segment 1996[7] 2000[8] 2003[9] 2005[10] 2009[11] 2012 2014 2017
Total seats 500 480 480 480 480 480 475 465
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Jiyū Minshutō FPTP 38.6% 41.0% 43.9% 47.8% 38.6% 43.0% 48.1% 48.21%
169 177 168 219 64 237 223[12] 226
PR 32.8% 28.3% 35.0% 38.1% 26.7% 27.6% 33.1% 33.28%
70 56 69 77 55 57 68 66
Total seats 239 233 237 296 119 294 291 284
Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) Rikken Minshutō FPTP – 8.75%
18
PR 19.88%
37
Total seats 55
Party of Hope Kibō no Tō FPTP – 20.64%
18
PR 17.36%
32
Total seats 50
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Minshutō (1996–2014)
Democratic Party (DP) Minshintō (2017)		 FPTP 10.6% 27.6% 36.7% 36.4% 47.4% 22.8% 22.5% no party
nominations,
≈14 members
elected
17 80 105 52 221 27 38
PR 16.1% 25.2% 37.4% 31.0% 42.4% 15.9% 18.3%
35 47 72 61 87 30 35
Total seats 52 127 177 113 308 57 73
Japan Restoration Party (JRP) Nippon Ishin no Kai (2012)
Japan Innovation Party (JIP) Ishin no Tō (2014)		 FPTP – 11.6% 8.2% 3.18%
14 11 3
PR 20.3% 15.7% 6.07%
40 30 8
Total seats 54 41 11
(New) Komeito (K/NK/NKP/CGP/NCGP/etc.) Kōmeitō FPTP – 2.0% 1.5% 1.4% 1.1% 1.4% 1.5% 1.5%
7 9 8 0 9 9 8
PR 13.0% 14.8% 13.3% 11.4% 11.8% 13.7% 12.51%
24 25 23 21 22 26 21
Total seats 31 34 31 21 31 35 29
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Nihon Kyōsantō FPTP 12.6% 12.1% 8.1% 7.2% 4.2% 7.8% 13.3% 9.02%
2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
PR 13.1% 11.2% 7.8% 7.2% 7.0% 6.1% 11.4% 7.9%
24 20 9 9 9 8 20 11
Total seats 26 20 9 9 9 8 21 12
Social Democratic Party (SDP) Shakai Minshutō FPTP 2.2% 3.8% 2.9% 1.5% 1.9% 0.7% 0.8% 1.15%
4 4 1 1 3 1 1 1
PR 6.4% 9.4% 5.1% 5.5% 4.2% 2.3% 2.5% 1.69%
11 15 5 6 4 1 1 1
Total seats 15 19 6 7 7 2 2 2
New Frontier Party (NFP) Shinshintō (1996)
Liberal Party Jiyūtō (2000)
Tomorrow Party of Japan (TPJ) Nippon Mirai no Tō (2012)
People's Life Party (PLP) Seikatsu no Tō (2014)
Liberal Party (LP) Jiyūtō (2017)		 FPTP 28.0% 3.4% – 5.0% 1.0% no party
nominations,
2 members
elected
96 4 2 2
PR 28.0% 11.0% 5.7% 1.9%
60 18 7 0
Total seats 156 22 9 2
Your Party (YP) Minna no Tō FPTP – 0.8% 4.7% –
2 4
PR 4.2% 8.7%
3 14
Total seats 5 19
Conservative Party Hoshutō (2000)
New Conservative Party Hoshu Shintō (2003)		 FPTP – 2.0% 1.3% –
7 4
PR 0.4% –
0 –
Total seats 7 4
New Party Harbinger (NPH) Shintō Sakigake FPTP 1.3% –
2
PR 1.0%
0
Total seats 2

SNTV multi-member districts (1947–1993)

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Vote for candidates by party and
seats by party
Parties 1958[13] 1960[13] 1963[13] 1967[13] 1969[13] 1972[13] 1976[13] 1979[13] 1980[13] 1983[13] 1986[13] 1990[13] 1993[13]
Total seats 467 467 467 486 486 491 511 511 511 511 512 512 511
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Jiyū Minshutō 57.8% 57.6% 54.7% 48.8% 47.6% 46.8% 41.8% 44.6% 47.9% 48.9% 49.4% 46.1% 36.7%
287 296 283 277 288 271 249 248 284 250 300 275 223
Japan Socialist Party (JSP) Nippon Shakaitō 32.9% 27.6% 29.0% 27.9% 21.4% 21.9% 20.7% 19.7% 19.3% 19.5% 17.2% 24.4% 15.4%
166 145 144 140 90 118 123 107 107 112 85 136 70
Japan Renewal Party (JRP) Shinseitō – 10.1%
55
Kōmeitō (K/KP/CGP/etc.) Kōmeitō – 5.4% 10.9% 8.5% 11.0% 9.8% 9.0% 10.1% 9.4% 8.0% 8.1%
25 47 29 55 57 33 58 56 45 51
Japan New Party (JNP) Nihon Shintō – 8.0%
35
Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) Minshatō – 8.8% 7.4% 7.4% 7.7% 7.0% 6.3% 6.8% 6.6% 7.3% 6.4% 4.8% 3.5%
17 23 30 31 19 29 35 32 38 26 14 15
Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Nihon Kyōsantō 2.6% 2.9% 4.0% 4.8% 6.8% 10.5% 10.4% 10.4% 9.8% 9.3% 8.8% 8.0% 7.7%
1 3 5 5 14 38 17 39 29 26 26 16 15
New Party Harbinger (NPH) Shintō Sakigake – 3.5%
13

History

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Meiji period (1890–1912)

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Kuroda Kiyotaka, Satsuma samurai and prime minister in the late 1880s, coined the term "transcendentalism" (超然主義, chōzen shugi) on the occasion of the promulgation of the Meiji Constitution in 1889. The oligarchs should try to "transcend" electoral politics and govern without partisan majorities the House of Representatives.
 
Itō Hirobumi, a Chōshū samurai, member of the House of Peers and prime minister of Japan on three non-consecutive occasions between 1885 and 1901. He was a main architect of the Imperial Constitution which created the Imperial Diet. When the oligarchs attempts to govern "transcendentally" mostly failed in the 1890s, he saw the necessity for permanent allies among elected political parties.
 
Hara Takashi, although born a Morioka noble, made his career as commoner-politician and became the first and one of only three prime ministers from the House of Representatives in the Empire.
See also: Meiji Restoration

The Japanese parliament, then known as the Imperial Diet, was established in 1890 as a result of the 1889 Meiji Constitution. It was modeled on the parliaments of several Western countries, particularly the German Empire and the United Kingdom, because of the Emperor Meiji's westernizing reforms. The Imperial Diet consisted of two chambers, the elected House of Representatives which was the lower house, and the House of Peers which was the upper house. This format was similar to the House of Lords in the Westminster system, or the Herrenhaus in Prussia, where the upper house represented the aristocracy.

Both houses, and also the Emperor, had to agree on legislation, and even at the height of party-based constitutional government, the House of Peers could simply vote down bills deemed too liberal by the Meiji oligarchy, such as the introduction of women's suffrage, increases in local autonomy, or trade union rights. The prime minister and his government served at the Emperor's pleasure, and could not be removed by the Imperial Diet. However, the right to vote on, and if necessary to block, legislation including the budget, gave the House of Representatives leverage to force the government into negotiations. After an early period of frequent confrontation and temporary alliances between the cabinet and political parties in the lower house, parts of the Meiji oligarchy more sympathetic to political parties around Itō Hirobumi and parts of the liberal parties eventually formed a more permanent alliance, in the form of the Rikken Seiyūkai in 1900. The confidence of the House of Representatives was never a formal requirement to govern, but between 1905 and 1918, only one cabinet took office that did not enjoy majority support in the House of Representatives.[14]

Taisho and early Showa periods (1912–1937)

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See also: Politics of the Empire of Japan (1914–1944)

During the Taishō political crisis in 1913, a no-confidence vote[15] against the third Katsura government, accompanied by major demonstrations outside the Diet, was followed shortly by resignation. Subsequently, in the period often referred to as Taishō democracy, it became increasingly customary to appoint many ministers, including several prime ministers, from the House of Representatives – Hara Takashi was the first commoner to become prime minister in 1918.

In the same year, the Rice Riots had confronted the government with an unprecedented scale of domestic unrest, and a German Revolution brought the Prusso-German monarchy to an end, the very system Meiji oligarchs had used as the main model for the Meiji constitution to consolidate and preserve Imperial power. Even Yamagata Aritomo and other oligarchs that had been fundamentally opposed to political parties, became more inclined to cooperate with the still mainly bourgeoisie parties, to prevent a rise of socialism or other movements that might threaten Imperial rule. Socialist parties would not be represented in significant numbers in the lower house until the 1930s.

The initially very high census suffrage requirement was reduced several times, until the introduction of universal male suffrage in 1925. The electoral system to the House of Representatives was also fundamentally changed several times: between systems of "small" mostly single- and few multi-member electoral districts (1890s, 1920, 1924), "medium" mostly multi-member districts (1928–1942) and "large" electoral districts (usually only one, rarely two city and one counties district per prefecture; 1900s and 1910s), using first-past-the-post in single-member districts, plurality-at-large voting (1890s) or single non-transferable vote in the multi-member districts.

Influence of the House of Representatives on the government increased, and the party cabinets of the 1920s brought Japan apparently closer to a parliamentary system of government, and there were several reforms to the upper house in 1925. However, the balance of powers between the two houses and the influential role of extra-constitutional actors such as the Genrō (who still selected the prime minister) or the military (that had brought down several cabinets) remained in essence untouched. Within a year of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in September 1931, a series of assassinations and coup attempts followed. Party governments were replaced by governments of "national unity" (kyokoku itchi) which were dominated by nobles, bureaucrats and increasingly the military.

World War II and aftermath (1937–1947)

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See also: Politics of the Empire of Japan (1914–1944)

After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and the start of war in 1937, the influence of the Imperial Diet was further diminished, though never eliminated, by special laws such as the National Mobilization Law and expanded powers for cabinet agencies such as the Planning Board.[16] The House of Representatives in the Empire had a four-year term and could be dissolved by the Emperor. In contrast, members of the House of Peers had either life tenure (subject to revocation by the Emperor) or a seven-year term in the case of members elected in mutual peerage elections among the three lower peerage ranks, top taxpayer and academic peerage elections. During the war, the term of the members of the House of Representatives elected in the last pre-war election of 1937 was extended by one year.

In the 1946 election to the House of Representatives, held under the U.S.-led Allied occupation of Japan, women's suffrage was introduced, and a system of "large" electoral districts (one or two per prefecture) with limited voting was used. A change in the electoral law in April 1945 had for the first time allocated 30 seats to the established colonies of the Empire: Karafuto (Sakhalin), Taiwan, and Chōsen (Korea); but this change was never implemented. Similarly, Korea and Taiwan were granted several appointed members of the House of Peers in 1945.

In 1946, both houses of the Imperial Diet (together with the Emperor) passed the postwar constitutional amendment which took effect in 1947. The Imperial Diet was renamed the National Diet, the House of Peers was replaced by an elected upper house called the House of Councillors, and the House of Representatives would now be able to override the upper house in important matters. The constitution also gave the Diet exclusive legislative authority, without involvement of the Emperor, and explicitly made the cabinet responsible to the Diet and requires that the prime minister has the support of a majority in the House of Representatives.

Late Showa period (1947–1989)

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Shigeru Yoshida, prime minister 1946–1947 as a member of the House of Peers and 1948–1954 as a member of the House of Representatives, oversaw the end of the American-led occupation and the beginning of the Japanese economic miracle.
See also: Post-occupation Japan

The Diet first met under the new constitution on May 20, 1947.[17] Four days later, Tetsu Katayama of the Democratic Socialist Party became Japan's first socialist prime minister and the first since the introduction of parliamentarianism.

Since the end of US rule in 1952, it has been the norm that the prime minister dissolves the House of Representatives before its 4-year term expires. Only once, in 1976, did the House last a full 4 years. It has become tradition to give nicknames to each dissolution, usually referencing a major political issue or controversy. One infamous example was on March 14, 1953, when Shigeru Yoshida dissolved the House and called for new election, after he name called people during a meeting of the budget committee. This came to be known as the "you idiot" dissolution.[18]

In 1955, prime minister Ichirō Hatoyama oversaw the creation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which since his third government has dominated Japanese politics under the 1955 System. The LDP would govern without interruption for nearly 40 years until the 1993 election, alone save for a three-year coalition government with the New Liberal Club after the 1983 election.

Hatoyama planned to change the electoral system to first past the post, introducing a bill to that effect in March 1956. This was met with opposition from the Socialist Party, who criticized Hatoyama's plan as a "Hatomander". The bill passed the House of Representatives in May 1956, but was never voted on by the House of Councillors. Electoral reform came into vogue again in the 1970s, but Kakuei Tanaka's plan met opposition internally in the LDP and never came to a vote in either chamber of the Diet.

Heisei and Reiwa periods (since 1989)

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Shinzo Abe, prime minister 2006–2007 and again 2012–2020, was the longest-serving PM in Japanese history.

Japan entered a lengthy recession in the 1990s (see Lost Decades), which many people blamed on the LDP.[citation needed] In the 1993 election, the party lost power for the first time under the 1955 System, when an eight-party coalition led by Morihiro Hosokawa of the Japan New Party were able to form a government. This government fell apart after nine months, and was succeeded by the Hata Cabinet, another short-lived non-LDP government. The LDP returned to power in 1994 with the Murayama Cabinet, this time in a coalition with their old rivals the Socialists, whose leader Tomiichi Murayama became prime minister.

As with party colleagues Ichirō Hatoyama and Kakuei Tanaka before him, prime minister Toshiki Kaifu of the LDP unsuccessfully tried to reform the electoral system in 1991. However, the Morihiro Hosokawa government got the 1994 Japanese electoral reform through the Diet, introducing a parallel voting system which went into effect at the next election in 1996. Under this system, which remains in effect as of 2022, 300 (since reduced to 289) members of the House of Representatives are elected using first past the post in single-member constituencies, while 200 (since reduced to 176) members are elected in regional blocs using party-list proportional representation.

Prime minister Junichiro Koizumi introduced a bill to the House of Representatives in 2006 on changing the Imperial Household Law to allow a woman to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne (see Japanese imperial succession debate), but he withdrew the bill after the birth of Prince Hisahito of Akishino the same year. The LDP once again lost power at the 2009 election, when the Democratic Party-led Hatoyama Cabinet took over, followed in rapid succession by the Kan Cabinet and Noda Cabinet. The LDP and Komeito, who had formed a two-party government between 2003 and 2009, came to power again after the 2012 election. Shinzo Abe, who had previously led the First Abe Cabinet, was prime minister for another stint lasting eight years, stepping down for health reasons in 2020.

When the Emperor Akihito expressed interest in abdicating, the Diet passed the Emperor Abdication Law in 2017, allowing for the 2019 Japanese imperial transition and the succession to the throne of Naruhito. In December 2022, in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and increased military cooperation between China and Russia, prime minister Fumio Kishida announced plans to significantly increase funding for the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

List of House of Representatives general elections

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19th century

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Election Date Elected prime minister
(during term) 		Turnout Seats Date of
dissolution (D) /
expiration of term (E) 		Registered
voters 		Majority party Seats Share Emperor
(Reign)
Imperial Diet (1890–1947); upper house: House of Peers Meiji
 
(1867–1912)
1st 1 July 1890 Yamagata Aritomo 93.91% 300 450,872 Constitutional Liberal 130 43.33%
(Matsukata Masayoshi)
2nd 15 February 1892 Matsukata Masayoshi 91.59% (D) December 25, 1891 434,594 094 31.33%
(Itō Hirobumi)
3rd March 1, 1894 Itō Hirobumi 88.76% (D) December 30, 1893 440,113 120 40.00%
4th 1 September 1894 Itō Hirobumi 84.84% (D) June 2, 1894 460,483 107 35.66%
(Matsukata Masayoshi)
(Itō Hirobumi)
5th 15 March 1898 Itō Hirobumi 87.50% (D) December 25, 1897 452,637 105 35.00%
(Ōkuma Shigenobu)
6th 10 August 1898 Ōkuma Shigenobu 79.91% (D) June 10, 1898 502,292 Kensei Hontō 124 41.33%
(Yamagata Aritomo)
(Itō Hirobumi)
(Katsura Tarō)
Election Date Elected prime minister
(during term) 		Turnout Seats Date of
dissolution (D) /
expiration of term (E) 		Registered
voters 		Majority party Seats Share Emperor
(Reign)

20th century

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Election Date Elected prime minister
(during term) 		Turnout Seats Date of
dissolution (D) /
expiration of term (E) 		Registered
voters 		Majority party Seats Share Emperor
(Reign)
7th August 10, 1902 Katsura Tarō 88.39% 376 (E) August 9, 1902 982,868 Rikken Seiyūkai 191 50.79% Meiji
 
(1867–1912)
8th March 1, 1903 86.17% (D) December 28, 1902 958,322 175 46.54%
9th 1 March 1904 Katsura Tarō 86.06% 379 (D) December 11, 1903 762,445 133 35.09%
(Saionji Kinmochi)
10th 15 May 1908 Saionji Kinmochi 85.29% (E) March 27, 1908 1,590,045 187 49.34%
(Katsura Tarō)
(Saionji Kinmochi)
11th 15 May 1912 Saionji Kinmochi 89.58% 381 (E) May 14, 1912 1,506,143 209 54.85%
(Katsura Tarō) Taishō
 
(1912–1926)
(Yamamoto Gonnohyōe)
(Ōkuma Shigenobu)
12th 25 March 1915 Ōkuma Shigenobu 92.13% (D) December 25, 1914 1,546,411 Rikken Dōshikai 153 40.15%
(Terauchi Masatake)
13th 20 April 1917 Terauchi Masatake 91.92% (D) January 25, 1917 1,422,126 Rikken Seiyūkai 165 43.30%
(Hara Takashi)
14th 10 May 1920 Hara Takashi 86.73% 464 (D) February 26, 1920 3,069,148 278 59.91%
(Takahashi Korekiyo)
(Katō Tomosaburō)
(Yamamoto Gonnohyōe)
(Kiyoura Keigo)
15th 10 May 1924 Katō Takaaki 91.18% (D) January 31, 1924 3,288,405 Kenseikai 151 32.54%
(Wakatsuki Reijirō)
(Tanaka Giichi) Shōwa
 
(1926–1989)
16th 20 February 1928 Tanaka Giichi 80.36% 466 (D) January 21, 1928 12,408,678 Rikken Seiyūkai 218 46.78%
(Hamaguchi Osachi)
17th 20 February 1930 Hamaguchi Osachi 83.34% (D) January 21, 1930 12,812,895 Rikken Minseitō 273 58.58%
(Wakatsuki Reijirō)
(Inukai Tsuyoshi)
18th 20 February 1932 Inukai Tsuyoshi 81.68% (D) January 21, 1932 13,237,841 Rikken Seiyukai 301 64.59%
(Saitō Makoto)
(Keisuke Okada)
19th 20 February 1936 Kōki Hirota 78.65% (D) January 21, 1936 14,479,553 Rikken Minseitō 205 43.99%
(Senjūrō Hayashi)
20th 30 April 1937 Senjūrō Hayashi 73.31% (D) March 31, 1937 14,618,298 179 38.41%
(Fumimaro Konoe)
(Hiranuma Kiichirō)
(Nobuyuki Abe)
(Mitsumasa Yonai)
(Fumimaro Konoe)
(Fumimaro Konoe)
(Hideki Tojo)
21st 30 April 1942 Hideki Tojo 83.16% (E) April 29, 1942 14,594,287 Imperial Rule Assistance Association 381 81.75%
(Kuniaki Koiso)
(Kantarō Suzuki)
(Kantarō Suzuki)
(Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni)
(Kijūrō Shidehara)
22nd April 10, 1946 Shigeru Yoshida 72.08% (D) December 18, 1945 36,878,420 Liberal 141 30.25%
23rd 25 April 1947 Tetsu Katayama 67.95% (D) March 31, 1947 40,907,493 Socialist 143 30.68%
(Hitoshi Ashida)
(Shigeru Yoshida)
National Diet (1947–present); upper house: House of Councillors
24th 23 January 1949 Shigeru Yoshida 74.04% 466 (D) December 23, 1948 42,105,300 Democratic Liberal 264 56.65%
(Shigeru Yoshida)
25th October 1, 1952 Shigeru Yoshida 76.43% (D) August 28, 1952 46,772,584 Liberal 240 51.50%
26th 19 April 1953 Shigeru Yoshida 74.22% (D) March 14, 1953 47,090,167 Liberal
Yoshida faction 		199 42.70%
(Ichirō Hatoyama)
27th 27 February 1955 Ichirō Hatoyama 75.84% 467 (D) January 24, 1955 49,235,375 Democratic 185 39.61%
(Ichirō Hatoyama)
(Tanzan Ishibashi)
(Nobusuke Kishi)
28th 22 May 1958 Nobusuke Kishi 76.99% (D) April 25, 1958 52,013,529 Liberal Democratic 287 61.45%
(Hayato Ikeda)
29th November 20, 1960 Hayato Ikeda 73.51% (D) October 24, 1960 54,312,993 296 63.38%
30th 21 November 1963 Hayato Ikeda 71.14% (D) October 23, 1963 58,281,678 283 60.59%
(Eisaku Satō)
31st January 29, 1967 Eisaku Satō 73.99% 486 (D) December 27, 1966 62,992,796 277 56.99%
32nd 27 December 1969 Eisaku Satō 68.51% (D) December 2, 1969 69,260,424 288 59.25%
(Kakuei Tanaka)
33rd 10 December 1972 Kakuei Tanaka 71.76% 491 (D) November 13, 1972 73,769,636 271 55.19%
(Takeo Miki)
34th 5 December 1976 Takeo Fukuda 73.45% 511 (E) December 9, 1976 77,926,588 249 48.72%
(Masayoshi Ōhira)
35th October 7, 1979 Masayoshi Ōhira 68.01% (D) September 7, 1979 80,169,924 248 48.53%
36th 22 June 1980 Zenkō Suzuki 74.57% (D) May 19, 1980 80,925,034 284 55.57%
(Yasuhiro Nakasone)
37th December 18, 1983 Yasuhiro Nakasone 67.94% (D) November 28, 1983 84,252,608 250 48.92%
38th 2 June 1986 Yasuhiro Nakasone 71.40% 512 (D) June 2, 1986 86,426,845 300 58.59%
(Noboru Takeshita)
(Sōsuke Uno) Akihito
(Heisei)
 
(1989–2019)
(Toshiki Kaifu)
39th 18 February 1990 Toshiki Kaifu 73.31% (D) January 24, 1990 90,322,908 275 53.71%
(Kiichi Miyazawa)
40th 18 July 1993 Morihiro Hosokawa 67.26% 511 (D) June 18, 1993 94,477,816 223 43.63%
(Tsutomu Hata)
(Tomiichi Murayama)
(Ryūtarō Hashimoto)
41st 20 October 1996 Ryūtarō Hashimoto 59.65% 500 (D) September 27, 1996 97,680,719 239 47.80%
(Keizō Obuchi)
(Yoshirō Mori)
42nd 25 June 2000 Yoshirō Mori 62.49% 480 (D) June 2, 2000 100,492,328 233 48.54%
(Junichiro Koizumi)
Election Date Elected prime minister
(during term) 		Turnout Seats Date of
dissolution (D) /
expiration of term (E) 		Registered
voters 		Majority party Seats Share Emperor
(Reign)

21st century

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Election Date Elected prime minister
(during term) 		Turnout Seats Date of
dissolution (D) /
expiration of term (E) 		Registered
voters 		Majority party Seats Share Emperor
(Reign)
43rd November 9, 2003 Junichiro Koizumi 59.86% 480 (D) October 10, 2003 102,306,684 Liberal Democratic 237 49.37% Akihito
(Heisei)
 
(1989–2019)
44th 11 September 2005 Junichiro Koizumi 67.51% (D) August 8, 2005 103,067,966 296 61.66%
(Shinzo Abe)
(Yasuo Fukuda)
(Tarō Asō)
45th 30 August 2009 Yukio Hatoyama 69.28% (D) July 21, 2009 104,057,361 Democratic 308 64.16%
(Naoto Kan)
(Yoshihiko Noda)
46th December 16, 2012 Shinzo Abe 59.32% (D) November 16, 2012 103,959,866 Liberal Democratic 294 61.25%
47th December 14, 2014 52.66% 475 (D) November 21, 2014 104,067,104 291 61.26%
48th 22 October 2017 Shinzo Abe 53.68% 465 (D) September 28, 2017 106,091,229 284 61.08%
(Yoshihide Suga) Naruhito
(Reiwa)
 
(2019–present)
(Fumio Kishida)
49th October 31, 2021 Fumio Kishida 55.93% (D) October 14, 2021 105,622,758 261 56.12%
(Shigeru Ishiba)
50th October 27, 2024 Shigeru Ishiba 53.85% (D) October 9, 2024 103,880,749 191 41.08%
Election Date Elected prime minister
(during term) 		Turnout Seats Date of
dissolution (D) /
expiration of term (E) 		Registered
voters 		Majority party Seats Share Emperor
(Reign)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^
    •   LDP (191)
    •   Independent (6)
  2. ^
  3. ^
    •   Independent (4)
  4. ^
    •   LDP (1/Speaker)
    •   CDP (1/Vice Speaker)
    •   Independent (2)
  5. ^ a b c Allied-occupation

References

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  1. ^ "The Constitution of Japan". Japanese Law Translation. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "Japan election: PM Shinzo Abe dissolves parliament". BBC News. September 28, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Takenaka, Linda Sieg (September 28, 2017). "Japan calls snap election as new party roils outlook". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  4. ^ "Democratic Party effectively disbands, throwing support behind Koike's party for Lower House poll". September 28, 2017. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  5. ^ "Diet enacts law lowering voting age to 18 from 20". The Japan Times. June 17, 2015. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  6. ^ "会派名及び会派別所属議員数". 衆議院 (Shūgiin, "House of Representatives"). Retrieved 2024-11-18. (Japanese).
  7. ^ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC/Sōmushō): 第４１回衆議院議員総選挙結果
  8. ^ MIC: 第４２回衆議院議員総選挙結果
  9. ^ MIC: 衆議院議員総選挙・最高裁判所裁判官国民審査結果調
  10. ^ MIC: 平成17年9月11日執行　衆議院議員総選挙・最高裁判所裁判官国民審査結果調 Archived September 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ MIC: 平成21年8月30日執行　衆議院議員総選挙・最高裁判所裁判官国民審査結果調 Archived December 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Includes Takahiro Inoue (independent, Fukuoka 1st district) who was retroactively nominated as LDP candidate; Reuters, December 14, 2014: 自民、井上氏を追加公認 Archived December 17, 2014, at archive.today
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, statistics bureau: 衆議院議員総選挙の党派別当選者数及び得票数（昭和33年～平成5年） Archived November 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 6, p. 35
  15. ^ Wikisource: 第三次桂内閣に対する内閣不信任上奏決議案提出及び趣旨説明, excerpt from the Imperial Diet minutes, House of Representatives session February 5, 1913
  16. ^ The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol.6, chapters 2 (Taichirō Mitani: The establishment of party cabinets, 1889–1932) and 3 (Gordon M. Berger: Politics and mobilization in Japan, 1931–1945).
  17. ^ "National Parliaments: Japan – Library of Congress". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  18. ^ "Dissolving the House of Representatives: A Powerful Political Tool - nippon.com". October 11, 2017. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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