Japan’s House of Representatives election officially starts

On October 15, the 50th House of Representatives election officially kicked off in Japan, as reported by Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). This election period will span 12 days, during which intense debates are expected to take place among political parties, focusing on key issues such as political reform and economic policies, including measures to tackle rising prices.

According to reports, over 1,300 candidates from nine political parties are anticipated to compete for the 465 seats in the House of Representatives.

Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Shigeru Ishiba, along with Komeito Party leader Keishi Ishii, view their parties’ ability to secure a majority as a crucial indicator of success in this election.

The Yomiuri Shimbun emphasizes that securing a majority is the minimum requirement for the ruling party to maintain power. Since 2012, the LDP has independently secured a majority in four consecutive elections; however, internal party members express concern that achieving a majority alone may prove to be a challenging target given the current hurdles faced by the party.

House of Representatives elections in Japan are held every four years under a mixed electoral system, combining single-member districts with proportional representation. In the single-member district elections, voters cast their ballots directly for candidates, with the highest vote-getter winning. In the proportional representation segment, voters select parties, which are allocated seats based on the number of votes received.

Shigeru Ishiba announced the dissolution of the House on October 9, and the official election announcement was made on the 15th, with voting scheduled for the 27th. The last House of Representatives election took place in 2021, where the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito secured a total of 293 seats.