Note: In the results above, the seats listed are the total number of seats won in the election. The vote counts and percentages listed represented the Prefectural District vote. 

At stake in this election:

• 121 seats in the House of Councillors (Sangiin)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Emperor AKHITO *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Shinzo ABE
• Assembly: Japan has a bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consisting of the House of Councillors (Sangiin) with 242 seats and the House of Representatives (Shugiin) with 480 seats.

* Japan's emperor, AKHITO serves as a symbolic figurehead of the nation's past. Unlike other monarchies, the emperor of Japan is not even the nominal head of state. Japan's Constitution, written in 1947, demoted the emperor to a “symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,” stripping the emperor of all “powers related to government.”

Description of electoral system:

• The Emperor is hereditary N/A.
• Prime Minister is appointed by parliament.
• In the House of Councillors (Sangiin), 96 members are elected through an open-list proportional representation system to serve 6-year terms and 146 members are elected by single non-transferable vote to serve 6-year terms*. In the House of Representatives (Shugiin), 300 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 180 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.**

* Terms are staggered with one half of each tier elected every election. In the ordinal tier, there is one nationwide district. In the nominal tier, constituencies correspond to prefectural or metropolitan boundaries. There are 47 constituencies with magnitudes ranging from 2 and 10 seats. Because half of all members are up for reelection every cycle, 31 members run in single-seat districts (their fellow district representative is not running) and 42 members run in 16 multi-member districts consisting of anywhere between 2 and 5 seats. In order to secure a seat, a candidate must obtain enough votes that are equal to or greater than one-sixth of the total number of valid votes divided by the number of contested seats in the district.

** In the proportional representation tier, there are 11 multi-member districts consisting of anywhere between 6 and 29 seats. Candidacy in both tiers is permitted, however, candidates are only allowed to run in the proportional representation block in which their single-seat constituency is located. Candidates running in single-member districts must secure one-sixth of all votes to win a seat.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) / Jiyū-Minshutō
  • Leader: Shinzo ABE
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 65
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 51
• Party: Democratic Party of Japan / Minshutō (DPJ)
  • Leader: Banri KAIEDA
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 17
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 44
• Party: New Komeito Party (NKP)
  • Leader: Natsuo YAMAGUCHI
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 11
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 9
• Party: Japanese Communist Party (JCP) / Nihon Kyōsan-tō
  • Leader: Kazuo SHII
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 8
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 3
• Party: Your Party / Minna no Tō
  • Leader: Yoshimi WATANBE
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 8
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 10
• Party: Japan Restoration Party / Nippon Ishin no Kai
  • Leader: Toru HASHIMOTO and Shintaro ISHIHARA
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 8
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 1
• Party: Social Democratic Party (SDP) / Shakai Minshu-tō
  • Leader: Mizhuo FUKUSHIMA
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 2
• Party: Independents/Others
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of Councillors election: 0
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: N/A

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 127,338,621 (2013)
• Registered Voters: 103,959,866 (November 2012 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 65,369,298 (2013)

·         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: 38 (House of Representatives); 22 (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: 19,100,793 (est.)