1983 Japanese general election

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1983 Japanese general election

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18 December 1983
1986 →

All 511 seats in the House of Representatives
256 seats needed for a majority
Turnout67.94% (Decrease 6.63pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
LeaderYasuhiro NakasoneMasashi IshibashiYoshikatsu Takeiri
PartyLDPSocialistKōmeitō
Last election47.88%, 284 seats19.31%, 107 seats9.03%, 33 seats
Seats won25011258
Seat changeDecrease 34Increase 5Increase 25
Popular vote25,982,78511,065,0825,745,751
Percentage45.76%19.49%10.12%
SwingDecrease 2.12ppIncrease 0.18ppIncrease 1.09pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
New
LeaderSasaki Ryōsaku [ja]Tetsuzo FuwaSeiichi Tagawa
PartyDemocratic SocialistJCPNew Liberal Club
Last election6.60%, 32 seats9.83%, 29 seats2.99%, 12 seats
Seats won38268
Seat changeIncrease 6Decrease 3Decrease 4
Popular vote4,129,9075,302,4851,341,584
Percentage7.27%9.34%2.36%
SwingIncrease 0.67ppDecrease 0.49ppDecrease 0.63pp

 Seventh party
 
LeaderHideo Den
PartySocialist Democratic
Last election0.68%, 3 seats
Seats won3
Seat changeSteady
Popular vote381,045
Percentage0.63%
SwingDecrease 0.05pp


Prime Minister before election

Yasuhiro Nakasone
LDP

Elected Prime Minister

Yasuhiro Nakasone
LDP

General elections were held in Japan on 18 December 1983 to elect the 511 members of the House of Representatives. The voter turnout was 67.94%, the lowest it had ever been in post-war history up to that point, and a low which would not be surpassed until ten years later.

Contrary to pre-election polls by national daily papers which projected a comfortable majority for the LDP, the latter party lost 34 seats compared to the previous election, falling six seats short of the 256 needed for majority control. As a result, the major conservative party was forced to form a majority coalition government for the first time since 1948.[1] In order to do so, the LDP formed a coalition with the New Liberal Club, a move which JSP leader Masashi Ishibashi called a "betrayal of the electorate."[2]

It is likely that the LDP's losses resulted in great part due to running too many candidates and thus falling prey to the spoiler effect. The biggest winner among the opposition was Kōmeitō, which saw an increase in terms of both seats as well as the popular vote that exceeded all of the other parties. This election also saw considerable tactical voting cooperation between the Japan Socialist Party, Komeito, Socialist Democratic Federation, and Democratic Socialist Party in various combinations, which resulted in varying levels of success for the opposition, but primarily for Komeito's outcome.[1]

Results

[edit]
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Liberal Democratic Party25,982,78545.76250−34
Japan Socialist Party11,065,08319.49112+5
Kōmeitō5,745,75110.1258+25
Japanese Communist Party5,302,4859.3426−3
Democratic Socialist Party4,129,9087.2738+6
New Liberal Club1,341,5842.368−4
Socialist Democratic Federation381,0450.6730
Other parties62,3240.110
Independents2,768,7364.8816+5
Total56,779,701100.005110
Valid votes56,779,70199.19
Invalid/blank votes461,1280.81
Total votes57,240,829100.00
Registered voters/turnout84,252,60867.94
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, National Diet
Seats won per district

By prefecture

[edit]
PrefectureTotal
seats
Seats won
LDPJSPKōmeitōDSPJCPNLCSDFInd.
Aichi2294243
Akita8431
Aomori7511
Chiba169331
Ehime963
Fukui4211
Fukuoka1984322
Fukushima127311
Gifu95211
Gunma10631
Hiroshima127221
Hokkaido2289113
Hyōgo2065432
Ibaraki1263111
Ishikawa651
Iwate8611
Kagawa651
Kagoshima1183
Kanagawa1935443
Kōchi52111
Kumamoto10721
Kyoto1041221
Mie95211
Miyagi9621
Miyazaki6321
Nagano138311
Nagasaki95211
Nara511111
Niigata151041
Ōita73211
Okayama105221
Okinawa52111
Osaka26657341
Saga541
Saitama15723111
Shiga52111
Shimane5311
Shizuoka1463122
Tochigi105311
Tokushima5311
Tokyo43146113621
Tottori431
Toyama642
Wakayama63111
Yamagata8521
Yamaguchi9621
Yamanashi532
Total5112501125838268316

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Baerwald, Hans H. (1984). "Japan's December 1983 House of Representatives Election: The Return of Coalition Politics". Asian Survey. 24 (3): 265–278. doi:10.2307/2644066. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 2644066.
  2. ^ "ELECCIONS". Dossier-CIDOB (2): 6–8. 1983. ISSN 1132-6093. JSTOR 40591549.

    1983 Japanese general election

    18 December 1983

    All 511 seats in the House of Representatives
    256 seats needed for a majority
    Turnout67.94% (Decrease 6.63pp)
     First partySecond partyThird party
     
    LeaderYasuhiro NakasoneMasashi IshibashiYoshikatsu Takeiri
    PartyLDPSocialistKōmeitō
    Last election47.88%, 284 seats19.31%, 107 seats9.03%, 33 seats
    Seats won25011258
    Seat changeDecrease 34Increase 5Increase 25
    Popular vote25,982,78511,065,0825,745,751
    Percentage45.76%19.49%10.12%
    SwingDecrease 2.12ppIncrease 0.18ppIncrease 1.09pp

     Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
     
    New
    LeaderSasaki Ryōsaku [ja]Tetsuzo FuwaSeiichi Tagawa
    PartyDemocratic SocialistJCPNew Liberal Club
    Last election6.60%, 32 seats9.83%, 29 seats2.99%, 12 seats
    Seats won38268
    Seat changeIncrease 6Decrease 3Decrease 4
    Popular vote4,129,9075,302,4851,341,584
    Percentage7.27%9.34%2.36%
    SwingIncrease 0.67ppDecrease 0.49ppDecrease 0.63pp

     Seventh party
     
    LeaderHideo Den
    PartySocialist Democratic
    Last election0.68%, 3 seats
    Seats won3
    Seat changeSteady
    Popular vote381,045
    Percentage0.63%
    SwingDecrease 0.05pp


    Prime Minister before election

    Yasuhiro Nakasone
    LDP

    Elected Prime Minister

    Yasuhiro Nakasone
    LDP

    General elections were held in Japan on 18 December 1983 to elect the 511 members of the House of Representatives. The voter turnout was 67.94%, the lowest it had ever been in post-war history up to that point, and a low which would not be surpassed until ten years later.

    Contrary to pre-election polls by national daily papers which projected a comfortable majority for the LDP, the latter party lost 34 seats compared to the previous election, falling six seats short of the 256 needed for majority control. As a result, the major conservative party was forced to form a majority coalition government for the first time since 1948.[1] In order to do so, the LDP formed a coalition with the New Liberal Club, a move which JSP leader Masashi Ishibashi called a "betrayal of the electorate."[2]

    It is likely that the LDP's losses resulted in great part due to running too many candidates and thus falling prey to the spoiler effect. The biggest winner among the opposition was Kōmeitō, which saw an increase in terms of both seats as well as the popular vote that exceeded all of the other parties. This election also saw considerable tactical voting cooperation between the Japan Socialist Party, Komeito, Socialist Democratic Federation, and Democratic Socialist Party in various combinations, which resulted in varying levels of success for the opposition, but primarily for Komeito's outcome.[1]

    Results

    PartyVotes%Seats+/–
    Liberal Democratic Party25,982,78545.76250−34
    Japan Socialist Party11,065,08319.49112+5
    Kōmeitō5,745,75110.1258+25
    Japanese Communist Party5,302,4859.3426−3
    Democratic Socialist Party4,129,9087.2738+6
    New Liberal Club1,341,5842.368−4
    Socialist Democratic Federation381,0450.6730
    Other parties62,3240.110
    Independents2,768,7364.8816+5
    Total56,779,701100.005110
    Valid votes56,779,70199.19
    Invalid/blank votes461,1280.81
    Total votes57,240,829100.00
    Registered voters/turnout84,252,60867.94
    Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, National Diet
    Seats won per district

    By prefecture

    PrefectureTotal
    seats
    Seats won
    LDPJSPKōmeitōDSPJCPNLCSDFInd.
    Aichi2294243
    Akita8431
    Aomori7511
    Chiba169331
    Ehime963
    Fukui4211
    Fukuoka1984322
    Fukushima127311
    Gifu95211
    Gunma10631
    Hiroshima127221
    Hokkaido2289113
    Hyōgo2065432
    Ibaraki1263111
    Ishikawa651
    Iwate8611
    Kagawa651
    Kagoshima1183
    Kanagawa1935443
    Kōchi52111
    Kumamoto10721
    Kyoto1041221
    Mie95211
    Miyagi9621
    Miyazaki6321
    Nagano138311
    Nagasaki95211
    Nara511111
    Niigata151041
    Ōita73211
    Okayama105221
    Okinawa52111
    Osaka26657341
    Saga541
    Saitama15723111
    Shiga52111
    Shimane5311
    Shizuoka1463122
    Tochigi105311
    Tokushima5311
    Tokyo43146113621
    Tottori431
    Toyama642
    Wakayama63111
    Yamagata8521
    Yamaguchi9621
    Yamanashi532
    Total5112501125838268316

    References

    1. ^ a b Baerwald, Hans H. (1984). "Japan's December 1983 House of Representatives Election: The Return of Coalition Politics". Asian Survey. 24 (3): 265–278. doi:10.2307/2644066. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 2644066.
    2. ^ "ELECCIONS". Dossier-CIDOB (2): 6–8. 1983. ISSN 1132-6093. JSTOR 40591549.
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