Why Two Houses?

The bicameral system offers these advantages:

• Careful deliberation: One house reviews decisions made by the other, leading to better conclusions
• Diverse opinions reflected: Different electoral systems and terms allow a wider range of public voices in politics
• Prevents concentration of power: The two houses check each other, enabling balanced governance

Historical Background

The current Diet evolved from the Imperial Diet established in 1890 (Meiji 23). Originally consisting of the House of Representatives and the House of Peers, the latter was abolished when the Constitution of Japan took effect in 1947 (Showa 22), replaced by the House of Councillors.

The current Diet Building was completed in 1936 (Showa 11), with the House of Representatives on the left and the House of Councillors on the right when viewed from the front.

Basic Election Information

Basic System

• How to vote: Write the candidate’s name
• Districts: Prefectural units (except Tottori-Shimane and Tokushima-Kochi merged constituencies)
• Winner determination: Candidates with the most votes win, up to the district’s quota

About Merged Constituencies

Introduced in 2016, this system combines two adjacent prefectures with small populations into one constituency. Currently there are two:

• Tottori-Shimane constituency
• Tokushima-Kochi constituency

Basic System

• How to vote: Write either party name or candidate name
• District: Nationwide
• Seats: 50

What is the Open-List System?

In the House of Councillors proportional representation, candidate lists don’t have predetermined rankings. Winners are determined by individual vote counts within each party’s allocated seats.

1. Tally each party’s total votes (party votes + individual votes)
2. Determine each party’s seats using the D’Hondt method
3. Winners determined by individual vote counts within each party

Special Provision System (Introduced 2019)

A system allowing parties to designate candidates who win preferentially in predetermined order.

• Winners determined by list order regardless of individual votes
• Special provision candidates cannot conduct individual campaigns
• Designed to elect important personnel without nationwide support bases

【Slogan】Move Japan Forward, Enrich Lives

Main Policies

• Inflation Measures
  • Achieve wage increases exceeding inflation
  • Subsidies for struggling households
  • Electricity and gas bill support
• Economic Policy
  • Virtuous cycle of growth and distribution
  • Three-pronged labor market reform (reskilling, job-type employment, smooth labor mobility)
  • Concentrated investment in GX, DX, and startups
• Social Security
  • Build all-generation social security
  • Raise basic pension levels
  • Realize a child-centered society
• Security
  • Strengthen defense based on Japan-US alliance
  • Possess counterstrike capabilities
  • Enhance capabilities in space, cyber, and electromagnetic domains

【Slogan】Protect You from Inflation

Main Policies

• Inflation Measures
  • Reduce consumption tax on food from 8% to 0% (1-year limited measure)
  • Introduce tax credit with benefits
  • Dining table support payment (20,000 yen immediate payment)
• Economic Policy
  • Achieve 3% nominal wage growth
  • Focus investment in GLLD sectors (green energy, healthcare/nursing, agriculture/tourism, digital)
  • Raise minimum wage to 1,500 yen or more early
• Social Security
  • Oppose raising high-cost medical care self-payment limits
  • Pension enhancement bill
  • Create comprehensive total system
• Others
  • Realize zero nuclear society
  • Introduce selective separate surnames

【Slogan】Reform That Cuts Its Own Fat, In Progress

Main Policies

• Inflation Measures
  • Zero consumption tax on food for 2 years
  • Reduce social insurance premiums
  • Lighten burden on working generation
• System Reform
  • Transition pension system from pay-as-you-go to funded
  • Eliminate Tokyo concentration (Osaka sub-capital plan)
  • Introduce regional state system
• Labor Market Reform
  • Introduce flexicurity (flexibility + security)
  • Deregulate ridesharing and other industries
  • Review dismissal regulations

【Slogan】The Power to Listen to Small Voices

Main Policies

• Inflation Measures
  • Implement both tax cuts and benefits
  • Permanently lower reduced consumption tax rate on food
  • Abolish provisional gasoline tax rate
• Social Security
  • Build creative welfare society
  • Oppose raising high-cost medical care self-payment limits
  • Promote medical and nursing care DX
• Child Support
  • Expand free education
  • Enhance child allowances
  • Realize child-centered society

【Slogan】Summer to Increase Take-Home Pay

Main Policies

• Take-Home Pay Enhancement
  • Tax cuts, reduce social insurance premiums
  • Lower gasoline and electricity prices
  • Create wage increase reserve system
• Double Salaries for Specific Occupations
  • Double salaries for care workers, nurses, childcare workers
  • Review regional allowances
• Education/Childcare
  • Issue education bonds
  • Abolish child/childcare support fund

【Slogan】Hope for Living

Main Policies

• Consumption Tax Measures
  • Aim to abolish consumption tax, urgently reduce to 5%
  • Strengthen taxation on large corporations and wealthy
• Social Security
  • Introduce minimum guaranteed pension
  • Reduce medical expense copayments
  • Lower national health insurance premiums
• Others
  • Stop massive military expansion
  • Immediate zero nuclear power
  • 1,500 yen minimum wage

【Slogan】Let’s Start This Country Over

Main Policies

• Expansionary Fiscal Policy
  • Abolish consumption tax
  • 30,000 yen monthly cash payment
  • Active fiscal spending
• Labor Policy
  • 1,500 yen minimum wage (government subsidized)
  • 100,000 yen monthly raise for care/childcare workers
  • Convert irregular to regular employment
• Energy Policy
  • Immediate nuclear power abolition
  • Reiwa Green New Deal (200 trillion yen investment)
  • Decommissioning New Deal

【Slogan】Japan First

Main Policies

• Economic Policy
  • Economic recovery through expansionary fiscal policy
  • 0% consumption tax on food
  • Policies to protect Japanese livelihoods
• Childcare/Security
  • Enhanced child support
  • Strengthen public safety
  • People-centered “popular sovereignty politics”
• Foreign Worker Policy
  • Prioritize those with advanced skills and expertise
  • Require Japanese language ability and cultural understanding
  • No voting rights or referendum rights for foreigners

【Slogan】Hope for Living

Main Policies

• Inflation Measures
  • Immediate zero consumption tax on food
  • Implement emergency living support measures
  • Policies to support daily life
• Social Security
  • Enhance social security system
  • Policies to reduce inequality
  • Politics that supports the vulnerable
• Peace Policy
  • Uphold Article 9 of the Constitution
  • Promote peace diplomacy
  • Oppose military spending increases

【Slogan】Take Back Japan

Main Policies

• Tax Reduction Policy
  • Permanent 0% consumption tax on food (including alcohol)
  • Promote local tax cuts nationwide
  • Cut gasoline tax and income tax
• Security
  • Enact anti-espionage law
  • Establish intelligence agency
  • Promote support for defense research
• Constitutional Amendment
  • Delete Article 9, Paragraph 2
  • Specify possession of self-defense forces
  • Strengthen pressure to resolve North Korean abduction issue

Minna de Tsukuru Party: Opposition to increased pension/social insurance burdens, creating a society that protects those seeking help

NHK Party: Illegal immigration countermeasures, strengthening territorial sovereignty, importance of national defense

Saisei no Michi: Prioritize education, policies to enhance individual capabilities

Team Mirai: Youth political participation, political reform through technology utilization

Period

July 4 (Fri) – July 19 (Sat), 2025

※You can vote on weekends too

Hours

Generally 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM

※May vary by location

Locations

• City/ward/town/village offices
• Shopping centers
• University campuses
• Train stations, etc.

※Locations vary by municipality

What to bring

• Voting admission card (not required)
• ID for verification

Reasons for early voting (write on declaration)

• Work or study
• Travel or leisure
• Ceremonies
• Illness or injury
• Other unavoidable business

※Reasons are broadly accepted; “leisure” is perfectly fine

Serious Political Apathy Among Youth

Surveys show voter turnout among people in their 20s is about 35%, less than half compared to 71% for those in their 60s. Common sentiments on social media include:

• “Nothing changes even if I vote” (Male, 20s)
• “My single vote doesn’t change anything” (University student)
• “Politics is too difficult to understand” (Female, teens)

Hesitation and Guilt About Not Voting

Meanwhile, many express guilt about not voting, revealing a paradox where 61% of university students show interest in politics while 63.6% believe “society won’t change even if I vote”.

Evaluations of Inflation Measures

• Criticism of cash handouts
  • “20,000 yen handout is just election-targeted spending”
  • “Temporary measures don’t solve fundamental problems”
• Expectations for consumption tax cuts
  • “54.1% want consumption tax reduced”
  • “Salaries don’t rise but prices do, 10% consumption tax is too harsh”
  • “At least make food consumption tax zero”

※For detailed policy analysis of each party, see this article

Questions About Early Voting

• “What should I write on the early voting declaration?”
• “Can I early vote for leisure reasons?”
• “Can I vote if I lost my admission card?”

Confusion About the Electoral System

• “Should I write party name or candidate name?”
• “What’s the special provision? It’s undemocratic to win regardless of individual votes”
• “The proportional representation system is too complex”

Shocking Survey Results

According to a Ministry of Internal Affairs survey, 47.7% of people who encounter misinformation believe it, and 25.5% spread that information.

Examples of Spread Misinformation

• “Pencil votes can be rewritten” (baseless conspiracy theory)
• “Early voting is a hotbed of fraud” (completely false)
• “XX party is hiding YY policy” (hoax)

Importance of Fact-Checking

Organizations like the Japan Fact Check Center (JFC) are verifying election-related misinformation, though some express skepticism: “Who checks the fact-checkers?”

Anxieties and Questions

• “I don’t understand politics, should I vote?”
• “I haven’t moved my residence certificate, can I vote at home?”
• “I don’t understand the difference between constituency and proportional representation”

Positive Voices

• “First time voting, nervous but I’ll go”
• “Made plans to go to the polling station with friends”
• “Finally understood policies after watching YouTube explanation videos”

🔍 Want to Learn More?

If you’re unsure which party aligns with your views, please also check our detailed analysis of each party’s policies.

👉 Click here for thorough party policy analysis

Official Election Information Sources

• Ministry of Internal Affairs 27th House of Councillors Election Special Site
• House of Councillors Official Site
• Ministry of Internal Affairs – Understanding Elections