Japan’s Recent Election: What This Means For Japan’s Democracy

On October 27, 2024, Japan held a “key parliamentary election” that resulted in the governing party losing the majority in the lower house (House of Representatives) of the Japanese parliament. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), “which has governed Japan for all but four years since 1955", recently selected Shigeru Ishiba as prime minister a month ago, making it all the more important for the LDP to secure a majority in the House of Representatives. The results of the election can be explained by recent controversies surrounding the LDP. For the longest time, the LDP has been able to maintain stability due to the popularity of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, however, after he was assassinated in 2022, public discontent rose. Emerging news revealed a “political finance scandal” which only intensified voter dissatisfaction. 

This begs the question: what does this mean for Japan’s democracy? Japan’s political landscape has been relatively stable, especially given the stability of the LDP. However, the results of the election threw the stability into disarray. Minority parties were able to gain seats during the election, threatening the balance of power. Combined with the weakened status of the LDP, the political fragmentation introduces a level of political unpredictability that Japan is not familiar with. The elections’ results signal that voters in Japan are seeking to hold the government responsible as it emphasizes the importance of a healthy democracy.

However, this in turn causes fragmentation within the government which can lead to instability in reaching policy decisions that are crucial for the economy and democracy. This only goes to show the dangers of having a one-party dominance in a government. The dominance of the LDP limited competition for them for years, however, Japan is starting to see a change. While it may be troubling for the political landscape to be shaken up, it represents a chance for Japan to strengthen democratic practices as voters hold leaders accountable and promote greater transparency from the government.