Editorial

16:14 JST, December 28, 2025

Excessive emphasis has been placed on the equal value of votes, causing distortions to emerge in the electoral systems for both Diet chambers. Political parties should accelerate discussions on reforming the systems.

The electoral system for the House of Representatives, which combines single-seat constituencies and proportional representation blocs, was revised through a legal amendment in 2016 that introduced reviews of zoning for single-seat constituencies every five years in line with the findings of the population census. This was prompted by judicial decisions ordering that vote-value disparities be corrected.

Consequently, electoral zoning now must be revised frequently as the population continues to shift from rural to urban areas. This has caused confusion among voters. Rezoning has also meant a continued decline in the number of lawmakers elected from regional districts, among other........

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