Japan braces for snap election as 105 million voters prepare to cast ballots

As Japan gears up for a snap general election this Sunday, more than 105 million eligible voters will head to the polls to elect lawmakers to the House of Representatives, the 465-seat lower house of the National Diet.

With over 45,000 polling stations established across the country, this election marks a pivotal moment in Japanese politics. A record-breaking field of over 1,300 candidates is vying for seats, including 314 women—an unprecedented representation of female candidates in the nation’s history.

Voters will utilize a two-ballot system: one for selecting a candidate in their single-seat constituency and another for party selection in proportional representation. Japan is divided into 289 single-seat districts and 11 proportional representation blocs, adding complexity to the electoral process.

To secure a simple majority and form a government, a party or coalition must clinch at least 233 seats. In the last parliament, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held 256 seats, bolstered by its coalition partner, the Komeito party, which contributed 32 seats. However, the LDP now faces a robust challenge from the main opposition, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ). Recent polls suggest the CDPJ, previously holding 98 seats, could gain as many as 140 seats, positioning the LDP in a critical situation where forming a coalition with Komeito becomes a necessity rather than a choice.

Other significant players in this election include the Japan Innovation Party, which previously held 44 seats, and the Japanese Communist Party, with 10 seats. As the nation prepares to cast its votes, the outcome could fundamentally reshape Japan’s political landscape and influence governance for years to come.