Japan - October 2024

On 27 October, Japan held snap elections for the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament. Prime Minister Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lost 68 seats but remains the largest party in the House of Representatives with 191 out of 465 seats (41.1 per cent). The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), increased its representation from 96 to 148 seats (31.8 per cent). Voter turnout was 53.8 per cent, slightly down from 55.9 per cent in the previous election in 2021. The number of women in parliament increased from 50 (10.8 per cent) to 73 women (15.7 per cent). Despite the LDP losing its parliamentary majority, Ishiba expressed his intention to continue the current coalition without its majority threshold. He seeks to cooperate with opposition parties on a case-by-case basis for specific bills, such as economic policies. 

Sources: Japan Broadcasting Organization (NHK), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), BBC, The Sankei Shimbun, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

A record 73 (15.7 per cent) women were elected to the House of Representatives in Japan’s snap parliamentary election on 27 October, representing a 46.0 per cent increase. This marks an increase from 50 women (10.8 per cent) elected in the 2021 election. While a welcome development, the percentage still remains below the global average.

Sources: The Japan Times, The New York Times