2013 Japanese House of Councillors election

House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on July 21, 2013 to elect the members of the upper house of the National Diet. In the previous elections in 2010, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) remained the largest party, but the DPJ-led ruling coalition lost its majority. The House of Councillors is elected by halves to six year terms. In 2013, the class of Councillors elected in 2007 was up.

2013 Japanese House of Councillors election

← 2010July 21, 20132016 →

121 of the 242 seats in the House of Councillors
122 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
LeaderShinzō AbeBanri KaiedaNatsuo Yamaguchi
PartyLiberal DemocraticDemocraticKomeito
Leader since26 September 201225 December 20128 September 2009
Last election84 seats, 24.07%106 seats, 31.56%19 seats, 13.07%
Seats after1155920
Seat changeIncrease 31Decrease 47Increase 1
Popular vote18,460,3357,134,2157,568,082
Percentage34.68%13.40%14.22%
SwingIncrease 10.61ppDecrease 18.16ppIncrease 1.15pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
LeaderYoshimi WatanabeKazuo ShiiShintaro Ishihara
PartyYourCommunistRestoration
Leader since8 August 200924 November 200017 November 2012
Last election11 seats, 13.59%6 seats, 6.10%
Seats after18119
Seat changeIncrease 7Increase 5New
Popular vote4,755,1615,154,0556,355,300
Percentage8.93%9.68%11.94%
SwingDecrease 4.66ppIncrease 3.58ppNew

 Seventh partyEighth party
 
LeaderMizuho FukushimaIchirō Ozawa
PartySocial DemocraticPeople's Life
Leader since15 November 200325 January 2013
Last election5 seats, 3.84%
Seats after32
Seat changeDecrease 2New
Popular vote1,255,235943,836
Percentage2.36%1.77%
SwingDecrease 1.48ppNew

Constituency and proportional representation (bottom right) election result

President of the House of Councillors before election

Kenji Hirata
Democratic

Elected President of the House of Councillors

Masaaki Yamazaki
Liberal Democratic

Background

Japan had been in a "twisted parliament" (nejire kokkai, ねじれ国会) situation since 2007, in which opposite parties/coalitions control the houses of the Diet of Japan[1] (government lower house majority, opposition upper house majority), leading to political paralysis on a number of issues. Shinzo Abe led the Liberal Democratic Party to victory in the December 2012 general election after several years in the opposition. In campaigning to win control of the House of Councillors, Abe sought to resolve the "twisted parliament" problem for the next three years.[2]

Just prior to the election, the U.S. dollar fell against the yen on expectations of more momentum for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's aggressive monetary easing to fight deflation and boost growth for the export-dominant economy of Japan.[3] Abe's LDP and its coalition partner, the New Komeito party, were tipped to win a majority and end years of parliamentary stalemate so as to enable economic reforms. However, his critics suggested that a strong mandate could even make Abe complacent.[4]

Opinion polling

In the run-up to the election, various organizations conducted opinion polls to gauge voting intentions for the 48 proportional seats. Polls are listed in chronological order, showing the oldest first.

DateInstitute
LDPDPJJRPNKPYPPLPJCPU/O
9–10 MarchJNN37.5%8.1%3.6%2.2%2.7%-2.2%43.7%
23–24 MarchFNN[5]41.8%5.3%9.6%-4.7%---
AprilKyodo News48.2%6.7%10.4%3.9%4.5%0.5%3.2%22.6%
18–19 MayKyodo News44.4%6.8%5.7%4.4%5.2%0.3%3.1%30.1%
1–2 JuneKyodo News44.6%7.9%4.5%6.4%4.0%0.3%2.6%29.7%
8–9 JuneAsahi Shimbun[6]45%7%5%5%6%-4%28%
8–10 JuneYomiuri Shimbun[7]44%7%5%5%4%-3%32%
29–30 JuneMainichi Shimbun[8]45%8%5%6%7%-4%25%
29–30 JuneAsahi Shimbun[9]44%7%7%4%7%-5%26%
2 JulyYomiuri Shimbun[7]42%9%5%6%5%-4%29%
13–14 JulyAsahi Shimbun[10]43%6%6%8%6%-6%25%
13–14 JulyKyodo News[11]30.6%7.4%4.9%7.0%3.3%-3.8%43%
13–14 JulyMainichi Shimbun[12]37%7%8%8%8%-4%28%
17 JulyThe Nikkei[13]39%10%8%8%7%-6%22%

Note: U/O - Undecided or other

Cabinet approval and disapproval ratings
Approval (blue) and Disapproval (red) Ratings for Second and Third Abe Cabinet

Pre-election composition

Note: Composition as of July 13, 2013.[14]

6244285103459
Opposition seats not upDPJ seats upOVNKLDP seats upCoalition seats not up

Results

The ruling coalition won 76 seats and now holds a total of 135 seats in the House of Councillors ending the divided Diet.

Of the 31 single-member districts the LDP won 29; only in Iwate and Okinawa, opposition incumbents could hold their seats. The ten two-member districts elected ten LDP and ten opposition members; in several prefectures the second seat went to parties other than the DPJ: In Hyōgo to the JRP, in Miyagi to YP and in Kyōto to the JCP. Twelve of the 22 seats in three-, four and five-member districts went to LDP and Kōmeitō candidates. In the nationwide proportional race, the coalition parties won 25 seats, the opposition parties 23.

PartyNationalConstituencySeats
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsNot upWonTotal
after
+/–
Liberal Democratic Party18,460,33534.681822,681,19242.74475065115+31
New Komeito Party7,568,08214.2272,724,4475.13491120+1
Democratic Party of Japan7,134,21513.4078,646,37216.2910421759–47
Japan Restoration Party6,355,30011.9463,846,6497.252189+6
Japanese Communist Party5,154,0559.6855,645,93710.6433811+5
Your Party4,755,1618.9344,159,9617.84410818+7
Social Democratic Party1,255,2352.361271,5470.510213–1
People's Life Party943,8371.770618,3551.170202New
New Party Daichi523,1460.980409,0070.770000New
Greens Japan457,8620.86058,0320.110000New
Green Wind430,7430.810620,2721.170000New
Happiness Realization Party191,6440.360606,6921.140000–1
Okinawa Social Mass Party294,4200.551011New
Ishin Seito Shimpu157,9710.300000New
Genzei Nippon152,0380.290000New
Assembly for the Future of Saitama21,3580.040000New
21st Century Nippon Ishin no Kai20,1550.040000New
Smile Party of Japan12,2280.020000New
Mitamayama Policy Study Group11,2770.020000New
Fiscal Consolidation Party7,4250.010000New
World Economic Community Party5,6330.010000New
Launch Party2,9060.010000New
New Renaissance Party101–1
Independents2,098,6033.9521230
Total53,229,615100.004853,072,477100.00731211212420
Valid votes53,229,82397.1553,072,47796.85
Invalid/blank votes1,563,2332.851,725,1213.15
Total votes54,793,056100.0054,797,598100.00
Registered voters/turnout104,152,59052.61104,152,59052.61
Source: MIC

Summary

PartiesLDPNKDPJPNPYPJCPJRPSDPPLPNRPOSMPGWNPDOthersIndep.SubtotalSubtotalVacantTotal
Last election (2010)OppositionGovernmentOppositionSplitOppositionGovernment
841910631163SPJ4211HRP2131110242
After 2012 House of Representatives election
Opening session 182nd Diet
GovernmentOppositionSplitGovernmentOpposition
83198831163482142021031336242
Before this election
Closing session 183rd Diet
GovernmentOppositionGovernmentOpposition
841986136348214161031345242
Not Up50942103122115962121
UpTotal341044332261141544725121
29 single-member districts61011124619429
2 two-member districts
reapportioned to one seat
121214
10 two-member districts1082101020
Three- and five-member districts
Two 3-member districts reapportioned to 4 seats
53821181220
Nationwide proportional1271631231111192948
CandidatesTotal7821553463449111811712799334433
31 single-member districts311953021212321431108139
10 two-member districts10108107121122105363
Three-, four- and five-member districts84666531311511125769
Nationwide proportional29172015173046391246116162
ElectedTotal6511178881127645121
31 single-member districts291129231
10 two-member districts107111101020
Three-, four- and five-member districts8433211121022
Nationwide proportional18774561252348
Result11520591811932113135107242
Opening session 184th Diet
(by parliamentary group)
114
(113)
20
(20)
59
(58)
18
(18)
11
(11)
9
(9)
3
(3)
2
(2)
1
(3)
1
(—)
3
(4)
134
 
107
 
1
 
242
 

Differences between party and parliamentary group membership in the post-election opening session: Two independents caucus with the NRP, President Masaaki Yamazaki (LDP – Fukui), Vice-President Azuma Koshiishi (DPJ – Yamanashi) and Keiko Itokazu (OSMP – Okinawa) are independents in terms of parliamentary group.

Results by electoral district

Abbreviations and translations used in this table for (nominating – endorsing) parties:

DistrictMagnitudeIncumbentsWinners & runner-up [+incumbents if lower] with vote share (/votes for PR members)Gains & losses by party
Hokkaidō[15]2Katsuya Ogawa (D)
Chūichi Date (L)
Chūichi Date (L – K) 37.7%
Katsuya Ogawa (D) 24.4%
Takahiro Asano (Daichi) 14.7%
Aomori[16]1Kōji Hirayama (PLP)Motome Takisawa (L – K) 51.3%
Kōji Hirayama (PLP – SDP, Mikaze) 15.0%
PLP -1
L +1
Iwate[17]1Tatsuo Hirano (I)Tatsuo Hirano (I) 39.7%
Shin'ichi Tanaka (L – K) 26.4%
Miyagi[18]2Tomiko Okazaki (D)
Jirō Aichi (L)
Jirō Aichi (L - K) 44.7%
Masamune Wada (Minna) 23.3%
Tomiko Okazaki (D) 22.8%
D -1
Minna +1
Akita[19]1Daigo Matsuura (D)Matsuji Nakaizumi (L - K) 52.3%
Daigo Matsuura (D) 39.0%
D -1
L +1
Yamagata[20]1Yasue Funayama (Mikaze)Mizuho Ōnuma (L - K) 48.2%
Yasue Funayama (Mikaze – S) 44.6%
Mikaze -1
L +1
Fukushima[21]1 (-1)Emi Kaneko (D)
Masako Mori (L)
Masako Mori (L - K) 56.6%
Emi Kaneko (D) 28.2%
D -1
Ibaraki[22]2Yukihisa Fujita (D)
Tamon Hasegawa (L)
Ryōsuke Kōzuki (L - K) 48.4%
Yukihisa Fujita (D) 17.6%
Junko Ishihara (Minna) 13.3%
Tochigi[23]1Hiroyuki Tani (D)Katsunori Takahashi (L - K) 48.1%
Tomomi Oki (Minna) 25.8%
Hiroyuki Tani (D) 20.3%
D -1
L +1
Gunma[24]1Ichita Yamamoto (L)Ichita Yamamoto (L - K) 71.9%
Fujiko Kagaya (D) 15.3%
Saitama[25]3Kuniko Kōda (Minna)
Toshiharu Furukawa (L)
Ryūji Yamane (D)
Toshiharu Furukawa (L) 34.1%
Katsuo Yakura (K – L) 20.4%
Kuniko Kōda (Minna) 16.5%
Ryūji Yamane (D) 13.3%
D -1
K +1
Chiba[26]3Hiroyuki Nagahama (D)
Jun'ichi Ishii (L)
Ken Kagaya (D)
Jun'ichi Ishii (L – K) 28.5%
Toshirō Toyoda (L – K) 17.5%
Hiroyuki Nagahama (D) 16.3%
Masahiro Terada (Minna) 11.9%
D -1
L +1
Tokyo[27]5Masako Ōkawara (I)
Natsuo Yamaguchi (K)
Kan Suzuki (D)
Ryūhei Kawada (Minna)
Tamayo Marukawa (L)
Tamayo Marukawa (L) 18.9%
Natsuo Yamaguchi (K) 14.2%
Yoshiko Kira (C) 12.5%
Tarō Yamamoto (I) 11.8%
Keizō Takemi (L) 10.9%
Kan Suzuki (D) 9.8%
...
Masako Ōkawara (I) 4.2%
D -1, Minna -1, I (ex-D) -1
L +1, C +1, I (PLP-aligned) +1
Kanagawa[28]4 (+1)Hiroe Makiyama (D)
Masashi Mito (Ishin)
Akira Matsu (K)
Dai Shimomura (L) 28.8%
Shigefumi Matsuzawa (Minna) 18.8%
Sayaka Sasaki (K) 16.0%
Hiroe Makiyama (D) 11.7%
Kimie Hatano (C) 11.3%
Masashi Mito (Ishin) 6.2%
Ishin -1
L +1, Minna +1
Niigata[29]2Ichirō Tsukada (L)
Yūko Mori (PLP)
Ichirō Tsukada (L – K) 43.3%
Naoki Kazama (D) 19.3%
Yūko Mori (PLP) 15.6%
PLP -1
D +1
Toyama[30]1Takashi Morita (I)Shigeru Dōkō (L – K) 77.1%
Wataru Takahashi (C) 12.1%
I (ex-PNP) -1
L +1
Ishikawa[31]1Yasuo Ichikawa (D)Shūji Yamada (L – K) 64.8%
Yasuo Ichikawa (D) 23.0%
D -1
L +1
Fukui[32]1Ryūji Matsumura (L)Hirofumi Takinami (L – K) 70.6%
Toshikazu Fujino (D) 16.8%
Yamanashi[33]1Harunobu Yonenaga (Minna)Hiroshi Moriya (L – K) 37.3%
Takahiro Sakaguchi (I – D, S) 19.8%
...
Harunobu Yonenaga (Minna) 15.4%
Minna -1
L +1
Nagano[34]2Yūichirō Hata (D)
Hiromi Yoshida (L)
Hiromi Yoshida (L – K) 37.2%
Yūichirō Hata (D) 30.0%
Chiaki Karasawa (C) 15.8%
Gifu[35]1 (-1)vacant
(last held by Takao Fujii, Ishin)
Kenji Hirata (D)
Yasutada Ōno (L – K) 58.8%
Rie Yoshida (D) 25.6%
D -1
L +1
Shizuoka[36]2Kazuya Shinba (D)
Takao Makino (L)
Takao Makino (L – K) 41.5%
Kazuya Shinba (D) 30.0%
Yukiko Suzuki (Minna) 12.2%
Aichi[37]3Kōhei Ōtsuka (D)
Seiji Suzuki (L)
Kuniko Tanioka (Mikaze)
Yasuyuki Sakai (L – K) 35.4%
Kōhei Ōtsukai (D) 24.9%
Michiyo Yakushiji (Minna) 11.6%
Nobuko Motomura (C) 9.1%
...
Makoto Hirayama[38] (Mikaze – PLP) 2.1%
Mikaze -1
Minna +1
Mie[39]1Chiaki Takahshi (D)Yūmi Yoshikawa (L – K) 44.2%
Chiaki Takahshi (D) 37.6%
D -1
L +1
Shiga[40]1Hisashi Tokunaga (D)Takeshi Ninoyu (L – K) 53.4%
Hisashi Tokunaga (D) 29.2%
D -1
L +1
Kyoto[41]2Kōji Matsui (D)
Shōji Nishida (L)
Shōji Nishida (L – K) 37.0%
Akiko Kurabayashi (C) 20.7%
Keirō Kitagami (D) 19.0%
D -1
C +1
Osaka[42]4 (+1)Satoshi Umemura (D)
Kazuyoshi Shirahama (K)
Shūzen Tanigawa (L)
Tōru Azuma (Ishin) 28.8%
Takuji Yanagimoto (L) 22.3%
Hisatake Sugi (K) 19.0%
Kōtarō Tatsumi (C) 12.8%
Satoshi Umemura (D) 9.2%
D -1
C +1, Ishin +1
Hyōgo[43]2Yasuhiro Tsuji (D)
Yoshitada Kōnoike (L)
Yoshitada Kōnoike (L – K) 37.8%
Takayuki Shimizu (Ishin) 26.1%
Yasuhiro Tsuji (D) 15.0%
D -1
Ishin +1
Nara[44]1vacant
(last held by Tetsuji Nakamura, LF/TPJ)
Iwao Horii (L – K) 58.6%
Takanori Ōnishi (D) 23.1%
L +1
Wakayama[45]1Hiroshige Sekō (L)Hiroshige Sekō (L – K) 77.3%
Yasuhisa Hara (C) 19.0%
Tottori[46]1Yoshihiro Kawakami (D)Shōji Maitachi (L – K) 58.2%
Yoshihiro Kawakami (D) 30.0%
D -1
L +1
Shimane[47]1Akiko Kamei (Mikaze)Saburō Shimada (L – K) 57.8%
Akiko Kamei (Mikaze – S) 32.9%
Mikaze -1
L +1
Okayama[48]1vacant
(last held by Yumiko Himei, LF/TPJ)
Masahiro Ishii (L – K) 65.5%
Takashi Takai (I – D, S, Mikaze) 24.1%
L +1
Hiroshima[49]2Kōji Satō (PLP)
Kensei Mizote (L)
Kensei Mizote (L – K) 46.3%
Shinji Morimoto (D) 17.2%
Kana Haioka (Ishin) 15.4%
Kōji Satō (PLP – Mikaze) 12.2%
PLP -1
D +1
Yamaguchi[50]1Yoshimasa Hayashi (L)Yoshimasa Hayashi (L – K) 79.4%
Naoko Fujii (C) 16.6%
Tokushima[51]1Tomoji Nakatani (D)Tōru Miki (L – K) 57.5%
Tomoji Nakatani (D) 29.1%
D -1
L +1
Kagawa[52]1Emiko Uematsu (I)Shingo Miyake (L – K) 56.0%
Emiko Uematsu (I) 34.2%
I (ex-D) -1
L +1
Ehime[53]1vacant
(last held by Toshirō Tomochika, LF/TPJ)
Takumi Ihara (L – K) 66.6%
Kayoko Fujioka (Minna) 18.4%
L +1
Kōchi[54]1Norio Takeuchi (D)Kōjirō Takano (L – K) 52.9%
Yuriko Hamakawa (C) 24.1%
Norio Takeuchi (D) 21.6%
D -1
L +1
Fukuoka[55]2Tsukasa Iwamoto (D)
Masaji Matsuyama (L)
Masaji Matsuyama (L – K) 49.2%
Kuniyoshi Noda (D – PLP) 17.9%
Toshiyuki Yoshida (Ishin) 11.4%
Saga[56]1Minoru Kawasaki (I)Yūhei Yamashita (L – K) 64.6%
Kazunori Aoki (D) 24.1%
I (ex-D) -1
L +1
Nagasaki[57]1Yukishige Ōkubo (D)Yūichirō Koga (L – K) 59.2%
Yukishige Ōkubo (D – Mikaze) 30.7%
D -1
L +1
Kumamoto[58]1Nobuo Matsuno (D)Seishi Baba (L – K) 60.6%
Nobuo Matsuno (D – Mikaze) 29.8%
D -1
L +1
Ōita[59]1Yōsuke Isozaki (L)Yōsuke Isozaki (L – K) 50.0%
Shintarō Gotō (I – S, PLP, Mikaze) 27.3%
Miyazaki[60]1vacant
(last held by Itsuki Sotoyama, LF/TPJ)
Makoto Nagamine (L – K) 69.3%
Seiichirō Dōkyū (D) 18.6%
L +1
Kagoshima[61]1Hidehisa Otsuji (L)Hidehisa Otsuji (L – K) 59.0%
Inao Minayoshi (D) 17.7%
Okinawa[62]1Keiko Itokazu (OS)Keiko Itokazu (OS – C, S, PLP, Mikaze) 51.1%
Masaaki Asato (L – K) 45.4%
National48D 16
L 12
K 7
C 3
PLP 3
S 2
Ishin 1
Mikaze 1
Daichi 1
NRP 1
I 1
L 34.7% of proportional votes→18 seats:[63]
Yoshifumi Tsuge 429,002
Toshio Yamada 338,485
Masahisa Satō 326,541
Midori Ishii 294,148
Seiko Hashimoto 279,952
Takashi Hanyūda 249,818
Nobuaki Satō 215,506
Masaaki Akaike 208,319
Akiko Santō 205,779
Seiichi Etō 204,404
Masahiro Ishida 201,109
Haruko Arimura 191,343
Shūji Miyamoto 178,480
Kazuya Maruyama 153,303
Tsuneo Kitamura 142,613
Miki Watanabe 104,176
Yoshio Kimura 98,979
Fusae Ōta 77,173
Masaru Wakasa 76,829
D -9, PLP -3, S -1, Daichi -1, Mikaze -1
NRP -1, I -1
L +6, C +2, Ishin +5, Minna +4
K 14.2% of proportional votes→7 seats:[64]
Kanae Yamamoto 996,959
Daisaku Hiraki 770,682
Yoshihiro Kawano 703,637
Hiroshi Yamamoto 592,814
Kaneshige Wakamatsu 577,951
Yūichirō Uozumi 540,817
Hideki Niizuma 26,044
Nobuo Kawashima 7,737
D 13.4% of proportional votes→7 seats:[65]
Tetsuji Isozaki 271,553
Yoshifumi Hamano 235,917
Kumiko Aihara 235,636
Kusuo Ōshima 191,167
Mieko Kamimoto 176,248
Saori Yoshikawa 167,437
Toshio Ishigami 152,121
Takanori Kawai 138,830
Hajime Ishii 123,355
...
Toshiharu Todoroki 103,996
Marutei Tsurunen 82,858
...
Yoshikazu Tarui 13,178
Ishin 11.9% of proportional votes→6 seats:[66]
Antonio Inoki 356,605
Kyōko Nakayama 306,341
Mitsuo Gima 40,484
Takeshi Fujimaki 33,237
Masashi Nakano 32,926
Kunihiko Muroi 32,107
Hirokazu Tsuchida 28,616
C 9.7% of proportional votes→5 seats:[67]
Akira Koike 134,325
Yoshiki Yamashita 129,149
Tomoko Kami 68,729
Satoshi Inoue 50,874
Kōhei Nihi 39,768
Yūko Yamamoto 36,580
Minna 8.9% of proportional votes→4 seats:[68]
Ryūhei Kawada 117,389
Kazuyuki Yamaguchi 75,000
Michitarō Watanabe 50,253
Yoshiyuki Inoue 47,756
Jun'ichi Kawai 39,425
S 2.4% of proportional votes→1 seat:[69]
Seiji Mataichi 156,1555
Hiroji Yamashiro 112,641
Incumbents on other party lists without seat:
PLP (1.8%): Tadashi Hirono, Yoshinobu Fujiwara[70]
Daichi (1.0%): none[71]
Midori (0.9%): none[72]
Mikaze (0.8%): Kuniko Tanioka[73]
HRP (0.4%): none[74]

References