At stake in this election:

• 121 seats in the House of Representatives (Shugi-in)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Emperor AKIHITO
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI
• Assembly: Japan has a bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consisting of the House of Councillors (Sangi-in) with 242 seats and the House of Representatives (Shugi-in) with 480 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The Emperor is N/A N/A.
• In the House of Councillors (Sangi-in), 98 members are elected by proportional representation to serve 6-year terms and 144 members are elected in multi-member constituencies to serve 6-year terms. In the House of Representatives (Shugi-in), 300 members are elected in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 180 members are elected by proportional representation to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDJP)
  • Leader: Takako DOI
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 3
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 5
• Party: Japan Communist Party (JCP) / Nihon Kyosanto
  • Leader: Kazuo SHII
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 5
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 15
• Party: Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) / Minshuto
  • Leader: Yukio HATOYAMA
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 26
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 27
• Party: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
  • Leader: Junichiro KOIZUMI
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 64
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 44
• Party: New Komeito Party / Hoshu Shinto
  • Leader: Takenori KANZAKI
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 13
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 13
• Party: Liberal Party (LP)
  • Leader: Ichiro OZAWA
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 6
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 6
• Party: Others
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 4
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• -Last Election to the House of Representatives: July 12, 1998
  -Seats decided in the last election: 126

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 127,149,000 (2001)
• Registered Voters: 101,236,029 ( 2001 est.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 64,988,147 (2001)

·         Is Japan a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Japan ratified CEDAW: Yes (25 June 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes 

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 35 (House of Representatives); 38 (House of Councillors)

·         Human Development Index Position: 20 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Japan a signatory to CRPD: Yes (28 September 2007)

·         Has Japan ratified CRPD: Yes (20 January 2014)

·         Population with a disability: 19,072,350 (est.)