Surf Wiki
Save to docs
politics

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

2014 Japanese general election

none

none

FieldValue
countryJapan
typeparliamentary
previous_election2012 Japanese general electionprevious_year = 2012election_date = 14 December 2014next_election = 2017 Japanese general electionnext_year = 2017
previous_mpsList of members of the House of Representatives of Japan, 2012–2014elected_mps = List of members of the House of Representatives of Japan, 2014–2017
seats_for_electionAll 475 seats in the House of Representatives
majority_seats238
turnout52.65% (6.67pp; Const. votes)
52.65% (6.66pp; PR votes)
1blankConstituency vote
2blank% and swing
3blankRegional vote
4blank% and swing
image1
leader1Shinzō Abe
party1Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
last_election1294 seats
seats_before1295
seats1**291**
seat_change13
1data1**25,461,449**
2data1**48.10%** (5.09pp)
3data1**17,658,916**
4data1**33.11%** (5.49pp)
image2
leader2Banri Kaieda
party2Democratic Party of Japan
last_election257 seats
seats_before262
seats273
seat_change216
1data211,916,849
2data222.51% (0.30pp)
3data29,775,991
4data218.33% (2.84pp)
image3
leader3Toru Hashimoto
Kenji Eda
party3Japan Innovation Party (2014–2016)
last_election354 seats
seats_before342
seats341
seat_change313
1data34,319,646
2data38.16% (3.48pp)
3data38,382,699
4data315.72% (4.66pp)
image4
leader4Natsuo Yamaguchi
party4Komeito
last_election431 seats
seats_before431
seats435
seat_change44
1data4765,390
2data41.45% (0.04pp)
3data47,314,236
4data413.71% (1.81pp)
image5
leader5Kazuo Shii
party5Japanese Communist Party
last_election58 seats
seats_before58
seats521
seat_change513
1data57,040,170
2data513.30% (5.42pp)
3data56,062,962
4data511.37% (5.20pp)
image6
leader6Takeo Hiranuma
party6Party for Future Generations
last_election6*Did not exist*
seats_before619
seats62
seat_change6*New*
1data6947,396
2data61.79% (*New*)
3data61,414,919
4data62.65% (*New*)
map[[File:2014 Japanese House of Representatives election.svg400px]]
map_captiondistricts and PR districts, shaded according to winners' vote strength
titlePrime Minister
before_electionShinzō Abebefore_party = Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
after_electionShinzō Abeafter_party = Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

52.65% (6.66pp; PR votes)

Kenji Eda

General elections were held in Japan on 14 December 2014. Voting took place in all Representatives constituencies of Japan including proportional blocks to elect the members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. As the cabinet resigns in the first post-election Diet session after a general House of Representatives election (Constitution, Article 70), the lower house election also led to a new election of the prime minister in the Diet, won by incumbent Shinzō Abe, and the appointment of a new cabinet (with some ministers re-appointed). The voter turnout in this election remains the lowest in Japanese history.

Background

In 2012, the Democratic Party government under Yoshihiko Noda decided to raise the Japanese consumption tax. This unpopular move allowed the Liberal Democratic Party under Shinzo Abe to regain control of the Japanese government in the 2012 Japanese general election. Abe proceeded to implement a series of economic programs known as "Abenomics" in a bid to stimulate the economy. Despite these programs, Japan entered a technical recession in mid-2014, which Abe blamed on the consumption tax hike, even though many members of the LDP supported the hike. Abe called a snap election on November 18, in part for the purpose of winning LDP backing to postpone the hike and pursue the Abenomics package.

The LDP government was widely expected to win the election in a landslide, and many observers viewed the snap election as a mechanism for Abe to entrench his government at a time of relative popularity.

Under 2013 changes to the electoral law designed to reduce malapportionment, district boundaries in 17 prefectures were redrawn and five districts are eliminated without replacement (one each in Fukui, Yamanashi, Tokushima, Kōchi and Saga). The number of first-past-the-post seats is reduced to 295, the total number of seats decreases to 475.

Opinion polls

;Parties' approval ratings from 2013 to 2014 (Source: NHK)

DateLDPDPJJRPPFGNKPYPPLPJCPSDPGWNRPUPJIPOth.Und.No
AnswerLeadLiberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}Democratic Party of Japan}}Japan Restoration Party}}Party for Future Generations}}New Komeito Party}}Your Party}}People's Life Party}}Japanese Communist Party}}Social Democratic Party (Japan)}}Green Breeze Party}}Unity Party (Japan)}}Japan Innovation Party}}5–7 December7–9 November11–13 October5–7 September8–10 August11–13 July6–8 June9–11 May11–13 April7–9 March7–9 February11–13 January6–8 December8–10 November12–14 October6–8 September9–11 August5–7 July7–9 June10–12 May5–7 April8–10 March10–12 February12–14 January
38.1%11.7%0.1%5.9%0.3%4.3%0.9%0.0%3.7%0.1%26.3%8.5%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"11.8%
36.6%7.9%0.2%2.2%0.0%0.0%3.5%0.6%1.2%0.1%40.0%7.7%3.4%
40.2%5.6%0.1%4.1%0.5%0.1%3.3%0.9%1.4%0.1%35.0%8.8%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"5.2%
40.4%5.4%0.7%0.1%4.3%0.0%0.2%3.3%0.5%0.1%0.4%36.9%7.8%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"3.5%
36.7%6.4%1.0%0.3%3.0%0.2%0.3%3.2%0.7%0.0%0.0%39.4%8.8%2.7%
34.3%4.8%1.7%3.6%0.5%0.3%3.4%0.9%0.1%0.3%42.5%7.6%8.2%
36.9%5.1%1.1%4.0%0.4%0.1%2.8%0.6%0.0%0.1%42.4%6.7%5.5%
41.4%5.6%1.1%3.7%0.2%0.3%2.4%0.9%0.2%0.1%37.2%6.9%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"4.2%
38.1%7.4%1.3%3.4%0.9%0.2%3.6%0.6%0.1%0.2%37.2%5.2%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"0.9%
38.7%6.5%1.1%2.2%0.8%0.1%3.3%0.8%0.4%0.1%40.0%5.2%1.3%
36.2%5.8%1.3%3.9%1.1%0.3%3.3%1.4%0.5%0.2%41.0%5.2%4.8%
40.4%5.8%1.6%2.8%0.8%0.1%1.6%0.7%0.1%0.3%40.3%5.5%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"0.1%
**2014**
36.7%7.8%2.1%2.8%1.2%0.2%3.1%0.6%0.0%38.7%6.8%2.0%
41.9%5.2%1.8%4.4%1.9%0.3%3.3%0.4%0.3%35.1%5.6%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"6.8%
36.1%5.2%2.1%3.8%1.2%0.2%4.0%0.5%0.3%41.8%4.9%5.7%
40.3%5.5%2.2%4.4%2.1%0.0%3.2%0.7%0.2%34.6%6.8%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"5.7%
37.9%7.3%4.6%4.6%3.2%0.2%3.5%0.8%0.9%30.8%6.2%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"7.1%
42.5%8.0%2.7%5.3%3.1%0.5%3.7%0.9%0.1%0.0%0.3%24.5%8.4%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"18.0%
41.7%5.8%1.5%5.1%1.5%0.1%2.2%0.4%0.0%0.0%0.2%34.6%7.0%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"7.1%
43.4%5.3%2.4%3.7%2.3%0.3%2.0%1.1%0.0%0.0%0.1%33.3%6.1%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"10.1%
43.6%6.1%2.1%3.7%1.3%0.4%2.0%0.7%0.0%0.0%0.1%34.5%5.6%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"9.1%
40.1%7.0%3.9%4.4%3.1%0.3%2.1%0.6%0.0%0.0%0.1%31.8%6.6%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"8.3%
40.4%7.0%5.3%3.1%2.6%0.3%2.1%0.8%0.1%0.0%0.3%31.7%6.3%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"8.7%
37.8%7.6%6.5%4.0%3.7%0.5%2.7%0.8%0.0%0.0%0.3%30.8%5.4%Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}}; color:white"7.0%
**2013**

;Cabinet approval/disapproval ratings

DatePMApprovalDisapproval5–7 December7–9 November11–13 October5–7 September8–10 August11–13 July6–8 June9–11 May11–13 April7–9 March7–9 February11–13 January21–22 December6–8 December8–10 November12–14 October6–8 September9–11 August5–7 July7–9 June10–12 May5–7 April23–24 March9–10 March8–10 March10–12 February8–10 February12–14 January11–13 January
Shinzo Abe47%38%
Shinzo Abe44%38%
Shinzo Abe52%34%
Shinzo Abe58%28%
Shinzo Abe51%33%
Shinzo Abe47%38%
Shinzo Abe52%32%
Shinzo Abe56%29%
Shinzo Abe52%31%
Shinzo Abe51%30%
Shinzo Abe52%33%
Shinzo Abe54%31%
**2014**
Shinzo Abe49%34%
Shinzo Abe50%35%
Shinzo Abe60%25%
Shinzo Abe58%26%
Shinzo Abe59%23%
Shinzo Abe57%29%
Shinzo Abe57%25%
Shinzo Abe62%20%
Shinzo Abe65%18%
Shinzo Abe66%19%
Shinzo Abe69%6%
Shinzo Abe76%22%
Shinzo Abe66%18%
Shinzo Abe64%20%
Shinzo Abe71%18%
Shinzo Abe64%22%
Shinzo Abe68%24%
**2013**

Results

Main article: Results of the 2014 Japanese general election, List of members of the House of Representatives of Japan, 2014–2017

Constituency Cartogram

The LDP lost a small number of seats but slightly enlarged its majority coalition with Komeito. Turnout was a record low, and many voters viewed the election as a waste of time and money. DPJ president Banri Kaieda lost his seat in Tokyo while the Japanese Communist Party doubled in strength. The right-leaning Japan Innovation Party and Party for Future Generations lost seats.

By prefecture

PrefectureTotal
seatsSeats wonLDPDPJJIPKomeiPFGPLPJCPSDPInd.Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)}};"Democratic Party of Japan}};"Japan Innovation Party}};"Komeito}};"Party for Japanese Kokoro}};"Liberal Party (Japan, 2016)}};"Japanese Communist Party}};"Social Democratic Party (Japan)}};"Independent}};"Aichi15Akita3Aomori4Chiba13Ehime4Fukui2Fukuoka11Fukushima5Gifu5Gunma5Hiroshima7Hokkaido12Hyōgo12Ibaraki7Ishikawa3Iwate4Kagawa3Kagoshima5Kanagawa18Kōchi2Kumamoto5Kyoto6Mie5Miyagi6Miyazaki3Nagano5Nagasaki4Nara4Niigata6Ōita3Okayama5Okinawa4Osaka19Saga2Saitama15Shiga4Shimane2Shizuoka8Tochigi5Tokushima2Tokyo25Tottori2Toyama3Wakayama3Yamagata3Yamaguchi4Yamanashi2Total2952233811922118
**8**61
**3**
**4**
**11**2
**4**
**2**
**11**
**3**11
**5**
**5**
**6**1
**8**31
**7**1121
**5**11
**3**
1**2**1
**2**1
**4**1
**13**2111
**2**
**4**1
**4**2
**3**2
**5**1
**3**
**3**11
**4**
**3**1
**5**1
**2**1
**4**1
**1****1****1****1**
**9**154
**1****1**
**12**21
**4**
**2**
**6**2
**4**1
**2**
**22**111
**2**
**3**
**2**1
**3**
**4**
**1****1**

By PR block

PR blockTotal
seatsSeats wonLDPDPJJIPKomeiJCPSDPLiberal Democratic Party (Japan)}};"Democratic Party of Japan}};"Japan Innovation Party}};"Komeito}};"Japanese Communist Party}};"Social Democratic Party (Japan)}};"Chūgoku11Hokkaido8Hokuriku–Shinetsu11Kinki (Kansai)29Kyushu21Northern Kanto20Shikoku6Southern Kanto22Tohoku14Tōkai21Tokyo17Total18068353026201
**5**2121
**3**2111
**5**3111
**9**4844
**8**33421
**8**4332
**3**111
**8**4433
**5**4221
**8**5332
**6**3323

Notable losses

The most high-profile LDP candidate to lose re-election is Agriculture Minister Koya Nishikawa, who lost by 199 votes (0.2%) to former Governor of Tochigi Akio Fukuda. He was questioned in October after allegedly receiving financial support from a fraudulent company.

Amongst the DPJ members to lose their seats were party leader Banri Kaieda. Party for Future Generations leader Shintaro Ishihara was also unsuccessful in his attempt to win a seat after receiving a low position on his party's representative ballot.

Former leader of the now-dissolved Your Party and six-term representative for Tochigi-3rd district Yoshimi Watanabe was also defeated.

The JCP gained its first single-seat constituency seat since the 1996 election. Amidst a growing anti-base movement in Okinawa, JCP candidate Seiken Akamine unseated LDP incumbent Kōnosuke Kokuba in a night marked with a nationwide JCP surge.

Aftermath

In November 2015 the Grand Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that the inequality in vote weight due to malapportionment was still in an unconstitutional state (iken jōtai); however, as in previous such rulings, it dismissed the demand to invalidate the election.

Notes

References

References

  1. Wakatabe, Masazumi. "Election With A Cause: Why Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Must Call General Election Now".
  2. McCurry, Justin. (2014-11-18). "Japan calls snap election".
  3. Boyd, John. "Japan's unwanted election: Why now?".
  4. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: [http://www.soumu.go.jp/senkyo/senkyo_s/news/senkyo/shu_kuwari/ 衆議院小選挙区の区割りの改定等について]
  5. (24 December 2013). "Approval rating for Abe Cabinet falls below 50% for 1st time since inauguration: Mainichi poll (in English)". [[Mainichi Shimbun]].
  6. "【産経・ＦＮＮ合同世論調査】安倍内閣支持69・6%に上昇 鳩山内閣発足時を超える". MSN産経ニュース.
  7. TBS/JNN
  8. [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/news/20130210-OYT1T00686.htm 内閣支持率71%、2回連続上昇...読売世論調査]
  9. (2014-12-15). "Abe coalition secures big Japan election win with record low turnout". Reuters.
  10. (14 December 2014). "Japan election: Voters back Shinzo Abe as PM wins new term - BBC News". BBC News.
  11. "Romping home". The Economist.
  12. "衆 議 院 議 員 総 選 挙 ・ 最 高 裁 判 所 裁 判 官 国 民 審 査 結 果 調".
  13. "CLEA Lower Chamber Elections Archive".
  14. NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation). "NHK2014衆院選".
  15. (25 October 2014). "Sukyandaru: Shinzo Abe's plan to raise the profile of women in his cabinet is in tatters".
  16. (15 December 2014). "Abe tightens grip on power as ruling coalition wins 325 seats in Lower House election". The Japan Times.
  17. "Ex-Your Party leader Watanabe, ex-Tokyo Gov. Ishihara to lose seats". mainichi.jp.
  18. Aoki, Mizuho. (15 December 2014). "Resurgent JCP has night to remember". [[Japan Times]].
  19. [http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASDG25HAS_V21C15A1MM8000/ 14年衆院選、1票の格差は「違憲状態」 最高裁大法廷] [[Nihon Keizai Shimbun]], 25 November 2015
  20. [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/25/national/crime-legal/supreme-court-says-december-election-state-unconstitutionality-wont-nullify-results/ Supreme Court says December election 'in state of unconstitutionality,' but won't nullify results] [[The Japan Times]], 25 November 2015
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

2014-elections-in-asia 2014-elections-in-japan general-elections-in-japan december-2014-in-japan
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 2014 Japanese general election — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report