At Stake in this Election:  

• All 465 seats in the House of Representatives (Shugiin).  

Government Structure: 

• Chief of State: Emperor NARUHITO (since 1 May 2019) 

• Head of Government: Prime Minister Sanae TAKAICHI (since 21 October 2025) 

• Assembly: bicameral National Diet (Kokkai), comprised of the 465-seat House of Representatives (Shugiin) and the 248-seat House of Councillors (Sangiin).  

Electoral System: 

• The monarchy is hereditary.  

• The emperor appoints the Prime Minister, who is usually the leader of the majority party or coalition. 

• Members of the House of Representatives (Shugiin) are directly elected via a mixed system. Members serve a 4-year term.  

• Members of the House of Councillors (Sangiin) are directly elected via a mixed system. Members serve a 6-year term. 

Last Election: 

The last election for the House of Representatives was held on October 27, 2024.  

Information for Voters: 

第51回衆議院議員総選挙における選挙啓発 / Election Awareness Campaign for the 51st General Elections of the House of Representatives (in Japanese) 

New/Unique in this Election: 

This is a snap election, called by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in January 2026.  

Key Deadlines:

• Candidate filing deadline: January 27, 2026 

•  Voter registration deadline: not applicable, voter registration is passive. 

Main Parties in this Election: 

• Liberal Democratic Party (LDP/Jimintō) / Jiyū-Minshutō    

• • Seats won in last election: 191 out of 465 

• Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA / Chūdō) 

• • This is a new party formed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, which contested the last elections independently of one another. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan won 148 out of 465 seats, and the Komeito party won 24 out of 465 seats in the last election. 

• Japan Innovation Party / Nippon Ishin no Kai   

• • Seats won in last election: 38 out of 465 

• Democratic Party of the People (DPP) / Kokumin Minshu-tō    

• • Seats won in last election: 28 out of 465 

• Reiwa Shinsengumi / Reiwa Shinsengumi   

• • Seats won in last election: 9 out of 465 

• Japanese Communist Party (JCP) / Nihon Kyōsan-tō    

• • Seats won in last election: 8 out of 465 

• Social Democratic Party / Shakai Minshu-tō (Shamin-tō)   

• • Seats won in last election: 1 out of 465 

• Sanseitō  

• • Seats won in last election: 3 out of 465 

• Conservative Party of Japan / Nippon Hoshutō 

• • Seats won in last election: 2 out of 465 

• Team Mirai 

• • Seats won in last election: 0 

Country Context: 

• Population: 123,975,371 (2024 estimate) 

• Registered Voters: 104,083,563 (2024 estimate) 

• V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index Score: 0.820 (2024) 

• V-Dem Regimes of the World Classification: Liberal Democracy 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.925, Very High, Rank 23 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 63,495,351 (2024 estimate) 

• CEDAW Status: Signed 17 Jul 1980, Ratified 25 Jun 1985  

• Gender Quota: No legislated quotas. Some parties have adopted voluntary quotas. 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 73 out of 465 (15.7%) in the lower house and 73 out of 248 (29.4%) in the upper chamber.  

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 32.9 (2023 estimate) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 28 Sep 2007, Ratified 20 Jan 2014  

• Projected population with a disability: 19,836,059 (2024 estimate) 

IFES Resources: 

• ElectionJudgments: Yes, 5 judgments.