# Kagoshima 2nd district

Kagoshima 2nd district (鹿児島[県第]2区, Kagoshima[-ken dai-]ni-ku) is a single-member electoral district of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. The district covers two different parts of Kagoshima Prefecture. On the main island of Kyushu, it covers most of the Satsuma Peninsula; this includes the cities of Makurazaki, Ibusuki, Minamisatsuma, and Minamikyūshū, as well as the former municipalities Taniyama City and Kiire Town, which are now a part of the capital Kagoshima City. The district also includes Ōshima Subprefecture, which covers the Amami Islands more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) to the south, which includes the city of Amami. In 2021, the district had 337,660 eligible voters.
From 2000 to 2014, the district was represented by the Tokuda family, which runs the Tokushūkai hospital group. A political funds scandal in 2013 over donations from Tokushūkai led to the resignations of Tokyo governor Naoki Inose and Representative Takeshi Tokuda. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) still managed to hold the district until 2021, when it was won by former Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture Satoshi Mitazono, who ran as an independent candidate.

## List of representatives

| Representative | Party | Dates | Notes |
| Shūkō Sonoda [ja] | LDP | 1996–2000 | |
| Torao Tokuda | Liberal League | 2000–2005 | Re-elected at the 2003 general election |
| Takeshi Tokuda | Independent | 2005–2009 | Joined the LDP in 2006 |
| Takeshi Tokuda | LDP | 2009–2014 | Resigned from his seat in February 2014 |
| Masuo Kaneko [ja] | LDP | 2014–2021 | Won April 2014 by-election and re-elected in 2014 general election |
| Satoshi Mitazono | Independent | 2021– |

## Results

2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Satoshi Mitazono | 92,614 | 47.7 | |
| | Liberal Democratic | Masuo Kaneko | 80,469 | 41.4 | 9.8 |
| | Communist | Makoto Matsuzaki | 21,084 | 10.9 | 2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 58.58 | 2.48 |
| | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic | Independent gain from Liberal Democratic |
2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Masuo Kaneko | 97,743 | 51.2 | 23.0 |
| | Kibō no Tō | Kayo Saitō | 43,331 | 22.7 | |
| | Independent | Kenji Hayashi | 33,317 | 17.5 | |
| | Communist | Mitsuharu Iwaizako | 16,280 | 8.5 | 17.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 56.10 | 8.99 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Masuo Kaneko [ja](endorsed by Komeito) | 91,670 | 74.2 | |
| | Communist | Mitsuharu Iwaizako | 31,823 | 25.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 277,830 | 47.11 | 13.44 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
April 2014 By-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Masuo Kaneko [ja] (endorsed by Komeito) | 66,360 | 52.6 | |
| | Independent | Akashi Uchikoshi [ja] (Endorsed by Democratic, Restoration, Unity and People's Life parties) | 46,021 | 36.5 | |
| | Shintō Hitori Hitori | Yoshiko Arikawa | 5,507 | 4.6 | |
| | Communist | Terashi Mishima | 5,507 | 4.4 | |
| | Happiness Realization | Isao Matsuzawa | 1,283 | 1.0 | |
| | Independent | Toshiaki Seki | 1,152 | 0.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 279,787 | 60.55 | 13.63 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Takeshi Tokuda (Incumbent) (endorsed by Komeito) | 109,744 | 66.7 | |
| | Democratic | Akashi Uchikoshi [ja] (PR block incumbent) (endorsed by People's New Party) | 45,707 | 27.8 | |
| | Communist | Terashi Mishima | 9,177 | 5.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 281,457 | 74.18 | 0.37 |
| | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold | Liberal Democratic hold |
2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Takeshi Tokuda (Incumbent) | 114,102 | 55.7 | |
| | Democratic | Akashi Uchikoshi [ja] Was elected to Kyūshū PR block | 88,562 | 43.2 | |
| | Happiness Realization | Mifuko Kamimura | 1,169 | 1.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 283,503 | 73.81 | 2.22 |
| | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent | Liberal Democratic gain from Independent |
2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Takeshi Tokuda | 112,437 | 53.48 | |
| | Liberal Democratic | Shuko Sonoda [ja] | 71,858 | 35.15 | |
| | Independent | Akashi Uchikoshi [ja] | 44,853 | 21.94 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| | Independent gain from Liberal League | Independent gain from Liberal League | Independent gain from Liberal League | Independent gain from Liberal League | Independent gain from Liberal League |
2003 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal League | Torao Tokuda (Incumbent) | 97,423 | 49.1 |
| | Liberal Democratic | Shuko Sonoda [ja] | 90,952 | 45.9 |
| | Communist | Toshiaki Seki | 9,903 | 5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Liberal League hold | Liberal League hold | Liberal League hold | Liberal League hold |
2000 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal League | Torao Tokuda | 102,233 | 50.3 | |
| | Liberal Democratic | Shuko Sonoda [ja] (Incumbent) | 91,162 | 44.9 | |
| | Communist | Haruki Yamaguchi | 9,744 | 4.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| | Liberal League gain from Liberal Democratic | Liberal League gain from Liberal Democratic | Liberal League gain from Liberal Democratic | Liberal League gain from Liberal Democratic | Liberal League gain from Liberal Democratic |
1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Shuko Sonoda [ja] | 87,471 | 47.9 | |
| | Liberal League | Torao Tokuda | 84,448 | 46.3 | |
| | Communist | Seiki Katsurada | 10,618 | 5.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| | Liberal Democratic win (new seat) | Liberal Democratic win (new seat) | Liberal Democratic win (new seat) | Liberal Democratic win (new seat) | Liberal Democratic win (new seat) |