From: tjg@kocb.astem.or.jp (Tim Gleeson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Japan's electoral system
Date: 20 Nov 92 02:34:28 GMT
Distribution: soc
Organization: KUBOTA Corp., ASTEM RI, Kyoto, Japan

The following is from "What's What in Japan's Diet, Government, and Public
Agencies", translated and published by The Japan Times Limited, 1989. 
(Japanese language edition published by PHP Institute, Tokyo, in August
1987, titled as $@@$$NCf$3(J$@$&$J$C$F$$$k@/I\!"9q2q!"418xD#(J $@$N$7$/$_(J).

The book is in a rather hard-to-read manga style, but it does contain a lot
of facts combined with interpretation. The facts are useful, but I'm unsure
about some of the interpretation. I have collected some quotes spread around
the page and reformatted them into paragraphs.

House of representatives ($@=05D1!(J shuugiin)
------------------------
Number of seats: 512
Eligibility: all persons aged 25 years and over.
Term: 4 years.

House of councillors ($@;25D1!(J sangiin)
--------------------
Number of seats: 252 (152 for prefectural constituencies, 100 for the
national constituency).
Eligibility: all persons aged 30 years and over.
Term: 6 years, an election every 3 years for half the members.

House of representatives election
---------------------------------
Under Japan's medium sized constituency system, prefectures are divided into
several constituencies of 2-7 Diet members each. This system covers the
shortcomings of large and small constituency systems while utilizing their
advantages.

House of councillors election
-----------------------------
Prefectural constituencies: a large constituency system which divides the
nation into 47 electoral districts.
National constituency: proportional representation, (d'Hondt) system, the
electorate votes for a party.

The large constituency system and the small constituency system
---------------------------------------------------------------
In a large constituency system, one constituency covers an extensive area
(in the past, a whole prefecture) and elects several members of the Diet. In
a small constituency system, one constituency elects one member of the Diet,
so there are as many constituencies in the country as there are seats in the
Diet.

Merits of the large constituency system: (1) It is possible for small
parties to win seats. (2) Because constituencies are extensive, there is a
wide selection of candidates. (3) Election irregularities, such as vote
buying, decline. Demerits: (1) Campaigning is expensive, because it must
cover a wide area. (2) Because constituencies are large, it is difficult for
voters to get information about candidates.

Merits of the small constituency system: (1) Voters are able to know the
candidates well. (2) Because campaigning covers only a small area, it is
possible to keep election expenses down. Demerits: (1) It is difficult for
small parties to grow, and there is an increase in the number of dead votes.
(2) The number of vote buying cases and other election irregularities tends
to increase. (3) There is a high risk of gerrymandering (the fixing of
constituency boundaries to benefit a certain party).

The medium-sized constituency system: Theoretically this is a type of large
constituency system, but it seeks to use the merits of the small
constituency system too.

Tim
--
Tim Gleeson                   Kubota Corporation, Astem RI
tjg@kocb.astem.or.jp          17 Chudoji, Minami-machi, Shimogyo-ku
                              Kyoto 600, Japan
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,sci.lang.japan