# Wakayama 1st district

Wakayama 1st district (和歌山県第1区, Wakayama-ken dai-ikku) is an electoral district in the Japanese House of Representatives.
Representative Shuhei Kishimoto resigned on 1 September 2022 to successfully run for office as governor of Wakayama Prefecture. Yumi Hayashi, member of the Nippon Ishin no Kai, won the seat in a special election in April 2023. She narrowly lost the seat in the 2024 election to former Wakayama City council member Daichi Yamamoto by only 124 votes. Hayashi carried Wakayama City with more than 2000 votes, but Yamamoto managed to make up the difference with support in the more rural area of Kinokawa and Iwade that had recently been added to the district.

## Area

The first constituency of Wakayama Prefecture covers the cities of Wakayama, Kinokawa and Iwade. Before reapportionment in 2022, it consisted only of Wakayama city.

## List of representatives

| Election | Representative | Party | Notes |
| 1996 | Keisuke Nakanishi [ja] | New Frontier | |
| 2000 | Tatsuya Tanimoto | Independent | |
| 2003 | Tatsuya Tanimoto | Liberal Democratic | |
| 2005 | Tatsuya Tanimoto | Liberal Democratic | |
| 2009 | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] | Democratic | Resigned to run for office as governor |
| 2012 | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] | Democratic | Resigned to run for office as governor |
| 2014 | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] | Democratic | Resigned to run for office as governor |
| 2017 | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] | Kibō no Tō | Resigned to run for office as governor |
| 2021 | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] | DPFP | Resigned to run for office as governor |
| Vacant (September 2022–April 2023) ||||
| 2023 by-el | Yumi Hayashi | Innovation | |
| 2024 | Daichi Yamamoto [ja] | LDP | |

## Election Results

2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | LDP | Daichi Yamamoto | 70,869 | 36.2 | 6.6 |
| | Ishin | Yumi Hayashi (elected by PR) | 70,745 | 36.2 | 11.3 |
| | CDP | Noriatsu Murakami | 25,067 | 12.8 | |
| | JCP | Yūichi Imoto | 13,665 | 7.0 | 1.6 |
| | Sanseitō | Masataka Hayashimoto | 13,422 | 6.9 | |
| | Minor Party | Takeshi Shōji | 1,749 | 0.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.27 | 7.16 |
| | LDP gain from Ishin | LDP gain from Ishin | LDP gain from Ishin | LDP gain from Ishin | LDP gain from Ishin |
2023 by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Innovation | Yumi Hayashi | 61,720 | 47.47 | New |
| | Liberal Democratic | Hirofumi Kado [ja] | 55,657 | 42.80 | 5.53 |
| | Communist | Hideaki Kunishige | 11,178 | 8.60 | 1.38 |
| | Seijika Joshi | Takahira Yamamoto | 1,476 | 1.14 | New |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 304,221 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.11 | 11.05 |
| | Ishin gain from DPP | Ishin gain from DPP | Ishin gain from DPP | Ishin gain from DPP | Ishin gain from DPP |
2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DPFP | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] (Incumbent) | 103,676 | 62.73 | New |
| | Liberal Democratic | Hirofumi Kado [ja] (Incumbent-Kinki PR block) | 61,608 | 37.27 | 2.39 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 307,817 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 55.16 | 7.89 |
| | DPP hold | DPP hold | DPP hold | DPP hold |
2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Kibō no Tō | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] (Incumbent) | 72,517 | 50.36 | New |
| | Liberal Democratic | Hirofumi Kado [ja] (Incumbent-Kinki PR block) (reelected by Kinki PR block) | 57,111 | 39.66 | 2.64 |
| | Communist | Yasuhisa Hara | 14,372 | 9.98 | 0.08 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 312,819 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.27 | 0.45 |
| | Kibō no Tō hold | Kibō no Tō hold | Kibō no Tō hold | Kibō no Tō hold |
2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] (Incumbent) | 67,740 | 47.80 | 12.85 |
| | Liberal Democratic | Hirofumi Kado [ja] (Incumbent-Kinki PR block) (reelected by Kinki PR block) | 59,937 | 42.30 | 7.53 |
| | Communist | Hideaki Kunishige | 14,027 | 9.90 | 2.35 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 309,449 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.82 | 10.44 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] (Incumbent) | 60,577 | 34.95 | 23.20 |
| | Liberal Democratic | Hirofumi Kado [ja] (elected by Kinki PR block) | 60,277 | 34.77 | 0.08 |
| | Restoration | Jun Hayashi | 39,395 | 22.73 | New |
| | Communist | Hideaki Kunishige | 13,094 | 7.55 | 1.49 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 311,046 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 57.26 | 10.05 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2009 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] | 120,309 | 58.15 | 18.42 |
| | Liberal Democratic | Tatsuya Tanimoto (Incumbent) | 72,109 | 34.85 | 16.12 |
| | Communist | Hideaki Kunishige | 12,529 | 6.06 | 3.25 |
| | Happiness Realization | Masahiro Saitō | 1,956 | 0.95 | New |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 313,226 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 67.31 | 2.79 |
| | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP | Democratic gain from LDP |
2005 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Tatsuya Tanimoto (Incumbent) | 100,868 | 50.97 | 17.93 |
| | Democratic | Shuhei Kishimoto [ja] | 78,621 | 39.73 | New |
| | Communist | Tsutomu Shimokado | 18,418 | 9.31 | 21.79 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 314,432 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 64.52 | 13.35 |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |
2003 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democratic | Tatsuya Tanimoto (Incumbent) | 101,602 | 68.90 | 50.09 |
| | Communist | Tsutomu Shimokado | 45,851 | 31.10 | 12.60 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 314,436 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 51.17 | 9.50 |
| | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold | LDP hold |
2000 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Tatsuya Tanimoto | 83,830 | 45.76 | New |
| | New Conservative | Keisuke Nakanishi [ja] (Incumbent) | 65,468 | 35.74 | New |
| | Communist | Yasuhisa Hara | 33,899 | 18.50 | 5.00 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 315,298 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 60.67 | 0.08 |
| | Independent gain from New Conservative | Independent gain from New Conservative | Independent gain from New Conservative | Independent gain from New Conservative | Independent gain from New Conservative |
1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Frontier | Keisuke Nakanishi [ja] | 66,428 | 35.85 | New |
| | Independent | Takusō Tabita [ja] | 58,119 | 31.37 | New |
| | Liberal Democratic | Chikara Azuma [ja] | 34,851 | 18.81 | New |
| | Communist | Akiharu Okumura | 25,016 | 13.50 | New |
| | Independent | Masako Tabata | 872 | 0.47 | New |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 313,750 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 60.59 | |