Elections are an institution that forms the foundation of democracy and the most basic means for citizens to participate in politics. In Japan, the voting age was lowered to 18 and older in 2016, making young people's political participation more important.
Basic Knowledge
Japan's electoral system combines the single-member district system and the proportional representation system. The House of Representatives uses the parallel voting system of single-member districts and proportional representation (289 single-member district seats + 176 proportional representation seats), while the House of Councillors combines the electoral district system and the proportional representation system. The single-member district system is a system in which one person is elected from each electoral district; it tends to produce a two-party system and makes stable government more likely, but its disadvantage is that it produces many wasted votes. The proportional representation system allocates seats according to the percentage of votes won; it more readily reflects the will of the people, but is said to tend to produce a proliferation of small parties. The issue of vote-value disparity is the problem that the number of voters per legislator differs depending on the electoral district, making the value of votes unequal, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly issued rulings finding an "unconstitutional state." The 2015 revision of the Public Offices Election Act lowered the voting age from 25 and older→18 and older, and the change was applied beginning with the 2016 House of Councillors election.
Single-member district system (One person elected per electoral district. It tends to produce a two-party system and many wasted votes)
Proportional representation system (Seats allocated according to the percentage of votes won. It readily reflects the will of the people and tends toward a proliferation of small parties)
Vote-value disparity (The problem of differences in the number of voters per legislator among electoral districts)
Voting rights at age 18 (2015 revision of the Public Offices Election Act. Applied from the 2016 House of Councillors election)
Public opinion (An opinion shared by a majority of society. Formed and measured through the media and opinion polls)
Universal suffrage (The principle of granting voting rights to everyone above a certain age, regardless of wealth, gender, educational background, or other factors)
In Depth (Background and Significance)
Elections are conducted based on the five principles of "equal elections, universal elections, direct elections, secret elections, and free elections." In Japan, equal universal suffrage for men and women was achieved after World War II, but women's political participation (the proportion of members of the national legislature) remains low by international standards. The media, including television, newspapers, and social media, plays a major role in shaping public opinion, making information literacy essential. The roles of pressure groups and political parties, which mediate opinions between politicians and voters, are also important. The declining voter turnout among young people has become an issue, and the introduction of voting rights at age 18 is positioned as one measure to address it. Political participation takes diverse forms beyond elections, including demonstrations, petitions, and sharing information on social media.
- The five principles of elections: universal, equal, direct, secret, and free elections
- House of Representatives: 289 single-member district seats + 176 proportional representation seats = 465 seats in total
- Advantages of single-member districts = stable government; disadvantages = more wasted votes and less reflection of the will of the people
- Advantages of proportional representation = reflection of the will of the people; disadvantages = proliferation of small parties and a tendency toward coalition governments
- Voting rights at age 18 were introduced through the 2015 revision and applied from the 2016 House of Councillors election (lowered from 20 and older, not 25 and older, to 18 and older)
- The Supreme Court has repeatedly determined that the vote-value disparity issue constitutes an unconstitutional state
- Seats in House of Representatives proportional representation are allocated using the D'Hondt method
Points to Note (Easily Confused)
① Changes in the voting age: 20 and older→18 and older (2015 revision). The eligibility age for election remains unchanged at 25 and older for the House of Representatives and 30 and older for the House of Councillors and governors. ② Do not reverse the characteristics of single-member districts and proportional representation: single-member districts produce many wasted votes and tend toward a two-party system, while proportional representation reflects the will of the people and tends toward a proliferation of small parties. ③ Vote-value disparity concerns "equality in the value of votes" and relates to equality under the law as provided in Article 14 of the Constitution. ④ Although the figures in opinion polls influence politics, note that public opinion and the true will of the people do not necessarily coincide.
Practice
- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the single-member district system and the proportional representation system.
- What is the issue of "vote-value disparity"? Explain which constitutional principle it is considered to violate.
- Describe the background to the lowering of the voting age in the 2015 revision of the Public Offices Election Act and the effects expected on young people's political participation.