Note: In the results above, the seats listed are the total number of seats won in the election. The vote counts and percentages represent 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 AKIHITO
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Yukio HATOYAMA
• 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.

Description of electoral system:

• The Emperor is hereditary.
• The 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, 29 members run in single-seat districts (their fellow district representative is not running) and 44 members run in 18 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 of all votes to win a seat.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) / Minshutō
  • Leader: Yukio HATOYAMA
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 60
• Party: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) / Jiyū-Minshutō
  • Leader: Sadakazu TANIGAKI
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 37
• Party: New Komeito Party (NKP)
  • Leader: Natsuo YAMAGUCHI
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 9
• Party: Japanese Communist Party (JCP) / Nihon Kyōsan-tō
  • Leader: Kazuo SHII
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 3
• Party: New Renaissance Party / Shintō Kaikaku
  • Leader: Yōichi MASUZOE
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 0
• Party: Your Party / Minna no Tō
  • Leader: Yoshimi WATANABE
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 0
• Party: Social Democratic Party (SDP) / Shakai Minshu-tō,
  • Leader: Mizuho FUKUSHIMA
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 3
• Party: Sunrise Party of Japan (SPJ) / Tachiagare Nippon
  • Leader: Takeo HIRANUMA
  • Seats won in last House of Councillors election: 0

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 128,070,000 (2010)
• Registered Voters: 103,949,442 (2009)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 65,686,821 (2010)

·         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: 34 (House of Representatives); 17 (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: 19,210,500 (est.)