| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Kokkai / National Diet |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Sangiin / House of Councillors |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Shugiin / House of Representatives
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
21 July 2013 |
| Purpose of elections |
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner, New Komeito, won a total of 76 seats of the 121 seats at stake. They now control a total of 135 seats in the 242-member House of Councillors, in addition to their majority in the House of Representatives. The 2013 elections ended the so-called twisted parliament, in which opposing parties had each controlled one chamber of the Diet since 2007.
The largest opposition force, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), took only 17 seats, and now holds 59 seats; the partys worst record since its inception in 1998. In all, 22 women (18.18%) were elected, the second highest percentage since the introduction of the current electoral system in 1983.
During the election campaign, the LDP focused on economic policies. It pledged to achieve average nominal economic growth of 3 per cent and average real economic growth of 2 per cent over the next decade. New Komeito promised a lower tax rate for food and other daily necessities when the consumption tax is raised to 10 per cent. The DPJ offered an alternative to the LDP-led government's "Abenomics" (the economic policies advocated by Prime Minister Abe), promising to support the middle classes and to work to raise the minimum wage.
The Prime Minister also stated that he would work to revise the 1947 Constitution. However, the LDP and smaller parties in favour of change failed to secure the two-thirds majority that is needed before constitutional amendments can be submitted to a referendum. |
Date of previous elections: 11 July 2010
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: N/A
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections: July 2016
Number of seats at stake: 121 (partial renewal)
Number of candidates: 433 (328 men, 105 women)
Percentage of women candidates: 24.2%
Number of parties contesting the election: 10
Number of parties winning seats: 7
Alternation of power: N/A*
* The Liberal Democratic Party regained the control of the House of Councillors in July 2013 but it had already in power since the December 2012 elections to the House of Representatives.
Number of parties in government: 2
Names of parties in government: Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito
Date of the first session of the new parliament: 2 August 2013
Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Masaaki Yamazaki (Liberal Democratic Party) |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 21 July 2013 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
104'152'590
54'798'927 (52.61%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) |
65
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) |
17
|
|
|
|
|
| New Komeito |
11
|
|
|
|
|
| Japanese Communist Party (JCP) |
8
|
|
|
|
|
| Nippon Ishin no To (Japan Restoration Party) |
8
|
|
|
|
|
| Your Party (Minna no To) |
8
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Others |
1
|
|
|
|
|
| Social Democratic Party (SDPJ) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
99
22
18.18%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
"Others" refers to the Okinawa Social Mass Party which is not a registered political party.
Parliamentary groups in the House of Councillors (30 July 2013)
- Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): 114
- The Democratic Party and The Shin-Ryokufukai (DP-SR): 59
- New Komeito (NK): 20
- Your Party: 18
- Japanese Communist Party (JCP): 11
- Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party): 9
- Social Democratic Party (SDP): 3
- New Renaissance Party and Group of Independents: 3
- People's Life Party: 2
- Independents: 3
Sources:
House of Councillors (01.01.2015)
http://www.sangiin.go.jp/japanese/joho1/kousei/eng/strength/index.htm
www.yomiuri.co.jp
www.asahi.com/ |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
