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The 27th general election of the House of Councillors is scheduled to be held in Japan by 27 July 2025 to elect 124, half of the 248 members of the House of Councillors, the upper house of the National Diet, for a term of six years. [1] [2]
The October 2024 general election resulted in the loss of majority of the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito governing coalition in the House of Representatives under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, [3] with the possibility of the ruling coalition suffering another "major defeat" at the House of Councillors election if opposition parties unite their candidates. [4]
According to Jiji Press, if five opposition parties, including the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), make deals in the 32 single-seat constituencies, the ruling LDP-Komeito coalition is projected to win 10 seats against the opposition camp's 22, and only three if the Nippon Ishin no Kai, also known as the Japan Innovation Party, joins the opposition alliance. [4]
| Parties | Leader | Ideology | Seats | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last election | Before election | |||||
| Liberal Democratic Party | Shigeru Ishiba | Conservatism Japanese nationalism | 119 / 248 | 115 / 248 | Governing coalition | |
| Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan | Yoshihiko Noda | Liberalism | 39 / 248 | 38 / 248 | Opposition | |
| Komeito | Keiichi Ishii | Buddhist democracy Social conservatism | 27 / 248 | 27 / 248 | Governing coalition | |
| Nippon Ishin no Kai | Nobuyuki Baba | Right-wing populism Economic liberalism | 21 / 248 | 20 / 248 | Opposition | |
| Japanese Communist Party | Tomoko Tamura | Communism Democratic socialism | 11 / 248 | 11 / 248 | ||
| Democratic Party For the People | Yuichiro Tamaki | Conservatism | 10 / 248 | 9 / 248 | ||
| Reiwa Shinsengumi | Tarō Yamamoto | Progressivism Left-wing populism | 5 / 248 | 5 / 248 | ||
| Collaborative Party | Ayaka Otsu (disputed) | Anti–TV license fees | 2 / 248 | 0 / 248 | ||
| Social Democratic Party | Mizuho Fukushima | Social democracy | 1 / 248 | 2 / 248 | ||
| Sanseitō | Sohei Kamiya | Ultraconservatism Right-wing populism | 1 / 248 | 1 / 248 | Unaffiliated | |
The Japanese political process has two types of elections.
Sadakazu Tanigaki is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2017, as Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2006, as President of the Liberal Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2012, as Minister of Justice from 2012 to 2014, and as LDP Secretary-General from 2014 to 2016. He was only the second LDP leader who was not simultaneously Prime Minister of Japan. He retired from politics following a spinal cord injury in 2016 that saw him using a wheelchair.
Toshihiro Nikai is a Japanese politician for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the leader of the LDP Shisuikai faction, who served as the Secretary-General of the LDP from 2016 to 2021. He was previously the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Nikai is currently retired, after thirteen terms in the Lower House representing Wakayama's Third District. He is widely considered to be "Japan's most pro-China lawmaker". He has also been criticized for misogynistic views expressed in the past, and caused controversy when he invited women to "look, but not talk" at key party meetings.
Yukishige Okubo is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a fmember of the House of Councillors in the Diet. A native of Isahaya, Nagasaki and graduate of Nagasaki University, he had served in the assembly of Nagasaki Prefecture since 2003. After running unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives in 2005, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007.
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Tochigi At-Large District is a multi-member district of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. It consists of Tochigi Prefecture and elects two Councillors, one per election.
The Hokkaido at-large district is a constituency of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. It consists of the prefecture (dō) of Hokkai[dō] and is represented by six Councillors electing three at a time every three years by single non-transferable vote for six-year terms. In the election period from 2019 to 2022, Hokkaido's Councillors are :
The Nagasaki at-large district is a constituency of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. It consists of Nagasaki Prefecture and elects two Councillors, one every three years by a first-past-the-post system for a six-year term. In the first election in 1947, Nagasaki like all districts used single non-transferable vote to elect both its Councillors in one election. Similar to other small, rural Kyushu prefectures, it is a "conservative kingdom" in favor of the LDP. Since the Democratic Party folded, LDP candidates have consistently won with over 50% of the vote.
Prefectural elections for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly was held on 23 June 2013, one month before 2013 Japanese House of Councillors election.
The Hyogo at-large district is a constituency that represents Hyogo Prefecture in the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. It currently has five Councillors in the 242-member house, but this representation will increase to six by July 2019.
The Tottori-Shimane at-large district is a constituency of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. It was formed pursuant to a 2015 revision of the Public Officers Election Law from a merger of the Tottori and Shimane at-large districts, the two smallest districts in the country, to address the imbalance in representation between rural and urban voters. The district has 1,068,348 registered voters and was contested for the first time at the House of Councillors election that was held on 10 July 2016.
The Miyagi at-large district is a multi-member constituency that represents Miyagi Prefecture in the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. It currently has two Councillors in the 242-member house, but this representation will decrease to two at the next election, to be held by July 2019.
House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on 21 July 2019 to elect 124 of the 245 members of the upper house of the National Diet for a term of six years.
Ōita at-large district is a constituency in the House of Councillors of Japan, the upper house of the Diet of Japan. It currently elects 2 members to the House of Councillors, 1 per election. It is unique among other Kyushu conservative kingdoms for its willingness to elect opposition members. Shinya Adachi held the districts 2022 seat from 2004, and Kiyoshi Adachi held the 2016 seat until his resignation in 2023, with Tadatomo Yoshida losing the by-election after by an extremely slim margin. This is possibly due to the presence of the city of Ōita, which has shown a willingness to support opposition candidates; it was historically also represented by a second Japan Socialist Party Councilor.
House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on 10 July 2022 to elect 125 of the 248 members of the upper house of the National Diet, for a term of six years. The elected candidate with the fewest votes in the Kanagawa prefectural district will serve for three years, as the district combined its regular and byelections.
In 2023, by-elections were held in Japan in order to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, the two houses of the National Diet of Japan.
Yukako Hagiwara was a Japanese politician who served one term as a Democratic Socialist Party member of the House of Councillors. Prior to her election, she had worked in primary and secondary education, serving as director of social education of the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education and as principal of Ōhiro Elementary School.
Hiroko Yasutake was a Japanese politician. Originally a public servant in Akashi, Hyōgo, she became active as a prefectural and regional trade union branch leader and a member of the Japanese Communist Party Central Committee, before serving in the House of Councillors for the Hyōgo at-large district from 1974 until 1986.
