The upcoming House of Representation election, scheduled for October 27th, will mark Japan‘s 29th lower house election since World War II. This will be the sixth time that a lower house poll has been held in October, following previous elections in 2021 and 2017. Interestingly, the majority of lower house elections have taken place during the October-December period.
In contrast, only one election has been held in each of May, August, and September. The concentration of elections in the last quarter of the year can be attributed to several factors. One reason is that ordinary Diet sessions are typically held from January to around June. Additionally, holding elections during the hot summer months is generally avoided.
Furthermore, clashes between ruling and opposition parties during ordinary Diet sessions have occasionally led to lower house dissolutions in autumn. This strategic move aims to secure victory at the polls and gain power to drive policy implementation.
Another significant factor influencing the timing of this upcoming election is the recent change in prime minister on October 1st. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appears eager to obtain a mandate from voters early on in his new administration by holding this poll at an early stage.
with official campaigning set to begin on October 15th after candidacy registration concludes, Japan’s sixth lower house poll taking place this October holds great significance for both political parties and voters alike.