1955 Japanese general election

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1955 Japanese general election
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg
  1953 27 February 1955 1958  

All 467 seats in the House of Representatives
234 seats needed for a majority
Turnout75.83% (Increase2.svg1.62pp)
 First partySecond party
 
Hatoyama Ichiro (cropped).jpg
Taketora Ogata 2.jpg
Leader Ichirō Hatoyama Taketora Ogata
Party Democratic Liberal
Last election26.71%, 111 seats [lower-alpha 1] 38.95%, 199 seats
Seats won185112
Seat changeIncrease2.svg74Decrease2.svg87
Popular vote13,536,0449,849,458
Percentage36.57%26.61%
SwingIncrease2.svg9.86ppDecrease2.svg12.34pp

 Third partyFourth party
 
Suzuki Mosaburo.JPG
Kawakami Jotaro 1952.JPG
Leader Mosaburō Suzuki Jōtarō Kawakami
Party Left Socialist Right Socialist
Last election13.05%, 72 seats13.52%, 66 seats
Seats won8967
Seat changeIncrease2.svg17Increase2.svg1
Popular vote5,683,3125,129,594
Percentage15.35%13.86%
SwingIncrease2.svg2.30ppIncrease2.svg0.34pp

1955 JAPAN GENERAL ELECTION, combined vote share.svg
Districts shaded according to winners' vote strength

Prime Minister before election

Ichirō Hatoyama
Democratic

Elected Prime Minister

Ichirō Hatoyama
Democratic

General elections were held in Japan on 27 February 1955. The result was a victory for the Japan Democratic Party, which won 185 of the 467 seats. [1] Voter turnout was 76%.

On 15 November 1955, the Japan Democratic Party and the Liberal Party combined as the modern Liberal Democratic Party, which ruled Japan continuously until 1993. The Rightist Socialist Party of Japan and the Leftist Socialist Party of Japan also merged to form the Japan Socialist Party, which was Japan's largest opposition party in the 1955 system.

Results

Japan House of Representatives 1955.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democratic Party 13,536,04436.57185New
Liberal Party 9,849,45826.61112–87
Left Socialist Party of Japan 5,683,31215.3589+17
Right Socialist Party of Japan 5,129,59413.8667+1
Japanese Communist Party 733,1211.982+1
Labourers and Farmers Party 357,6110.974–1
Other parties496,6141.342
Independents1,229,0823.326–5
Total37,014,836100.00467+1
Valid votes37,014,83699.14
Invalid/blank votes319,4990.86
Total votes37,334,335100.00
Registered voters/turnout49,235,37575.83
Source: Oscarsson, Masumi

By prefecture

PrefectureTotal
seats
Seats won
DP LP LSPJ RSPJ LFP JCP OthersInd.
Aichi 196661
Akita 8512
Aomori 7511
Chiba 137321
Ehime 93321
Fukui 4121
Fukuoka 194465
Fukushima 1233141
Gifu 9432
Gunma 10613
Hiroshima 125412
Hokkaido 22856111
Hyōgo 189135
Ibaraki 1263111
Ishikawa 6321
Iwate 83311
Kagawa 63111
Kagoshima 115321
Kanagawa 136133
Kōchi 51211
Kumamoto 103421
Kyoto 104231
Mie 9522
Miyagi 93213
Miyazaki 6141
Nagano 1352231
Nagasaki 93321
Nara 51211
Niigata 155541
Ōita 74111
Okayama 104321
Osaka 19434521
Saga 5122
Saitama 133541
Shiga 52111
Shimane 52111
Shizuoka 144631
Tochigi 104312
Tokushima 5311
Tokyo 2714166
Tottori 4211
Toyama 6411
Wakayama 6312
Yamagata 8332
Yamaguchi 93222
Yamanashi 52111
Total46718511289674226

Notes

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References

  1. Nohlen D, Grotz F, & Hartmann C (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p381 ISBN   0-19-924959-8