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nobodycaresaboutme

nobodycaresaboutme

maybe my English kinda sucks
Jun 30, 2025
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A general election (House of Representatives election) was held in Japan on Feb 8. I'd like to tell the. While I'm adding as many references or wikipedia links (though most of them are in Japanese) as possible, it is still possible that this article is politically biased. Please check credible sources yourself.


Background

Jiminto, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that is the biggest party in Japan, had maintained an alliance with Komeito, religious party affliated with Soka Gakkai, until Oct 10, 2025. After Sanae Takaichi was nominated as the leader of LDP, Komeito finally made a sudden breakaway from the alliance. This party concerned LDP's financial scandals and that she is perceived as hawkish and rightish link link wikipedia. Due to this disagreement, she needed to form a new coalition with another party so that she would be nominated as prime minister. On Oct 10 Ishin, Japan Innovation Party that is popular especially in Osaka, agreed to make a coalition link wikipedia.

Takaichi's premiership was maintaining high apprival ratings. For example some citizens highly regarded her resolute attitude toward the reactions over her remark about Taiwan by China and the approval rating increased to 69.9%(+5.5%) link wikipedia. And it came into fashion to have the same items as her belongings like a bag. This movement is called Sana-katsu link japanese wikipedia. She thought that she would be able to make her cabinet stronger by riding the popularity, especially considering that LDP didn't have enough seats for a stable management of the Diet at that time link japanese link. She decided to disolve the House of Representatives on Jan 23. The election date was set on Feb 8. This was the shortest election campaign period since WW2 link.

Right after the news of Takaichi's intention to dissolve the house, CDP, Constitutional Democratic Party that is leftish and the largest opposition in Japan, and Komeito reached to the agreement to merge into CRA Centrist Reform Alliance on Jan 15 link wikipedia.

Landslide Victory of LDP and Catastrophic Loss of CRA

LDP was fighting the election campaign favorably taking advantage of Takaichi's high approval ratings japanese link. The party won 316 seats out of 465. It's sufficient for the ruling LDP-Ishin coalition or even LDP alone to amend the Constitutions. Because the party was too successful and had not registered enough candidates, it ended up with giving 14 seats to other parties japanese link. People call this phenomenon and the elected candidates of the other parties "leftovers zombie(s)" japanese link.

On the other hand, CRA was struggling to rally support. Some of former CDP's leftist policies about nuclear power and the right of collective self-defense have been abandoned because of the merger japanese link. And they had not only been viewed as a hastily formed party just for electoral reasons compromising the policies, but also failed to spread their advocacy japanese link link. In the end, The count of CRA's seats dropped from 167 to 49 link.

Surge of Team Mirai

A new face digital democracy party Team Mirai gained 11 seats link wikipedia in this election. This party was officially established in 2025 to fight the Japanese House of Councillors election, received 2.6% of the votes of the national proportional representation block and 1 seat for the leader Anno Takahiro japanese link. In this country political organizations need to gain more than 2% of all votes in the last general or Councillors election to be recognized as national political parties and be granted some privileges japanese link, and this means this party became a national political party on the first try. Then the 2026 election was their first time taking part in a general election. The party ended up with surprising 11 seats.

There are several possible reasons for this result. The identity of the party, being a technology party that makes use of latest technology such as AI, might draw considerable attention from young people. Those who have been fed up with constant criticism of the govering majority by CRA and other opposition parties might see one of their party mottoes as appealing, that they prioritize cooperating rather than blaming. And this party has taken a different attitude from all the other parties toward the consumption tax claiming that it should not be cut. Realistic voters might appreciate this unique policy japanese link.

Rigged Election Conspiracy Theory

Unfortunately there are people who claim "the election was rigged" in Japan as well. Needless to say some people are complaining about the big win of LDP, rather those have targeted Team Mirai japanse link japanese link. Conspiracy theorists stayed in a filter bubble and easily jumped to the conclusion. An analysis says this negative campaign was being driven by the followers of Reiwa Shinsengumi, Conservative Party, and Sanseito japanse link that are regarded as populist partieslink wikipedia:reiwa wikipedia:cpj wikipedia:sanseito.