| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Kokkai / National Diet |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Shugiin / House of Representatives |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Sangiin / House of Councillors
|
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
15 April 1950
Last amendment: 15.06.2007 |
| Mode of designation |
Directly elected 480 |
| Constituencies |
- 300 single-member constituencies (majority system)
- 11 multi-member (6 to 30 seats) constituencies (proportional representation system)
|
| Voting system |
Mixed:
Mixed system:
- simple majority vote in 300 single-member constituencies
- party list under the proportional representation system using the d'Hondt method for the remaining 180 seats, with allocation of seats based on the parties' share of the national vote in the 11 large districts.
Candidates may run in both the single-seat constituencies and the proportional representation poll. However, these so-called "duplicate" candidates are only allowed to run in a single-seat constituency located within their proportional representation bloc.
Each party's proportional representation list includes candidates who take part in the proportional representation poll alone, adding up to the fixed number of seats for each bloc plus duplicate candidates from single-seat constituencies.
Candidates running in single-seat constituencies must obtain at least one-sixth of all valid votes to obtain a seat.
Vacancies for members elected under the proportional representation system are filled by the "next-in-line" candidate of the same party, regardless of the number of votes obtained. However, in the case of duplicate candidates, the number of votes obtained must be higher than the statutory number of votes, i.e. one-tenth of all valid votes.
By-elections are held if seats occupied by members elected from single-seat-constituencies become vacant. They are held twice a year, in April and October.
Voting is not compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: 20 years
- Japanese citizenship
- recorded domicile in a constituency for at least three months
Japanese nationals living overseas who fulfil the following conditions can vote in national general parliamentary elections:
- The person must have submitted moving-out notification at his or her town hall of final residence in Japan;
- The person must be registered at the Japanese Embassy/Consulate as a Japanese citizen living overseas for more than three months, or must be able to prove residence in foreign countries over the past three months;
- The person must hold a valid Japanese passport and must have submitted an application form for an overseas voter registration card via a Japanese Embassy/Consulate to the electoral commission of the final place of residence in Japan;
- The person must have received the voter registration card prior to the national elections.
Disqualifications:
The following persons are disqualified from voting:
- Persons who acquire dual nationality before the age of 20 years and who keep dual nationality after reaching the age of 22 years;
- Persons who have acquired dual nationality after the age of 20 years and who keep dual nationality for more than two years after the acquisition date of the new nationality;
- Persons recognised as a ward of the court by a family court;
- Persons sentenced to imprisonment or a more severe form of punishment and who have not completed their sentences;
- Persons sentenced to imprisonment or to a more severe form of punishment for an electoral offence, and who are given suspended sentences;
- Persons who, during their tenure as public office holders, have been convicted of bribery. This disqualification is valid during the term of the sentence and for five years thereafter. |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
- Qualified electors
- age: 25 years
- Japanese citizenship
|
| Incompatibilities |
- official post in Government or local public entity
- officer or staff of public corporation
- a member may, during his term of office, be appointed as a member of a commission, advisor, counsellor or other functionary of similar nature in any executive branch of the Cabinet, on a concurrent decision of both Houses
|
| Candidacy requirements |
- deposit of 3,000,000 yen in single-seat constituencies, forfeited if the number of votes obtained is less than 10 per cent of the total valid votes.
- deposit of 6,000,000 yen for each candidate on the list of a political party, or 3,000,000 yen if that candidate is also running for a single-seat constituency, forfeited according to the formula given below.
Amount to be forfeited = deposited amount - (3,000,000 yen × A + 6,000,000 yen × B × 2)
Note:
(a) A is the number of candidates who run for office in both a single-seat constituency and under the proportional representation system, and who are elected in the single-seat constituency.
(b) B is the number of candidates elected by proportional representation.
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