1949 Japanese general election

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1949 Japanese general election
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
  1947 23 January 1949 1952  

All 466 seats in the House of Representatives
234 seats needed for a majority
Turnout74.04% (Increase2.svg6.09pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Shigeru Yoshida smiling2.jpg
Takeru inukai.jpg
Pian Shan Zhe  (cropped).jpg
Leader Shigeru Yoshida Takeru Inukai Tetsu Katayama
Party Democratic Liberal Democratic Socialist
Last election25.44%, 124 seats26.23%, 143 seats
Seats won2647048
Seat changeNewDecrease2.svg 54Decrease2.svg 95
Popular vote13,420,2694,798,3524,129,794
Percentage43.87%15.68%13.50%
SwingNewDecrease2.svg9.76ppDecrease2.svg12.73pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
TOKUDA Kyuichi.jpg
Takeo Miki-2-1.jpg
Hisao Kuroda 01.jpg
Leader Kyuichi Tokuda Takeo Miki Hisao Kuroda
Party Communist National Cooperative Labourers and Farmers
Last election3.67%, 4 seats7.00%, 31 seats
Seats won35147
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 31Decrease2.svg 17New
Popular vote2,984,7801,041,879606,840
Percentage9.76%3.41%1.98%
SwingIncrease2.svg6.09ppDecrease2.svg 3.59ppNew

1949 JAPAN GENERAL ELECTION, combined vote share.svg
Districts shaded according to winners' vote strength

Prime Minister before election

Shigeru Yoshida
Democratic Liberal

Elected Prime Minister

Shigeru Yoshida
Democratic Liberal

General elections were held in Japan on 23 January 1949. The result was a landslide victory for the Democratic Liberal Party, which won 269 of the 466 seats. [1] Voter turnout was 74.0%. It was the first election held following the enactment of the current Constitution of Japan.

Future prime ministers Hayato Ikeda and Eisaku Satō and future Foreign Minister and Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsuo Okazaki were first elected in this election.

The second cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida was formed following the election.

The Japanese Communist Party's best prefecture performance was 20.07% in Osaka and its worst was 2.63% in Kagoshima. [2] This was the best performance of the JCP [3] until the 1972 election.

Results

Japan House of Representatives 1949.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democratic Liberal Party 13,420,26943.87264New
Democratic Party 4,798,35215.6869–55
Japan Socialist Party 4,129,79413.5048–95
Japanese Communist Party 2,984,7809.7635+31
National Cooperative Party 1,041,8793.4114–17
Labourers and Farmers Party 606,8401.987New
Other parties1,602,4965.2417
Independents2,008,1096.56120
Total30,592,519100.00466–2
Valid votes30,592,51998.13
Invalid/blank votes582,4381.87
Total votes31,174,957100.00
Registered voters/turnout42,105,30074.04
Source: Oscarsson, Nohlen et al.

By prefecture

PrefectureTotal
seats
Seats won
DLP DP JSP JCP NCP LFP OthersInd.
Aichi 191051111
Akita 853
Aomori 7331
Chiba 13112
Ehime 981
Fukui 422
Fukuoka 19923131
Fukushima 1293
Gifu 9711
Gunma 104321
Hiroshima 12732
Hokkaido 22112117
Hyōgo 18103221
Ibaraki 127212
Ishikawa 63111
Iwate 8611
Kagawa 6132
Kagoshima 1091
Kanagawa 1351331
Kōchi 5221
Kumamoto 104411
Kyoto 1033121
Mie 94113
Miyagi 9621
Miyazaki 651
Nagano 138212
Nagasaki 9711
Nara 52111
Niigata 15813111
Ōita 7511
Okayama 105212
Osaka 191054
Saga 532
Saitama 139121
Shiga 52111
Shimane 51211
Shizuoka 14911111
Tochigi 107111
Tokushima 532
Tokyo 271314711
Tottori 4211
Toyama 6321
Wakayama 6312
Yamagata 8521
Yamaguchi 9621
Yamanashi 52111
Total4662646948351471712

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p381 ISBN   0-19-924959-8
  2. Scalapino 1967, pp. 317–318.
  3. Cole, Totten & Uyehara 1966, pp. 25.

Works cited