page_title: 1994 Japanese electoral reform
section_title: Hosokawa Cabinet (1993–1994)
hierarchical_section_title: 1994 Japanese electoral reform / Discussion leading up to reform / Hosokawa Cabinet (1993–1994)
caption_attribution_description: Morihiro Hosokawa was inaugurated as Prime Minister on August, 1993. (For terms of use, see リンク、著作権等について | 首相官邸ホームページ.)
context_page_description: The 1994 electoral reform in Japan was a change from the previous single non-transferable vote system of multi-member districts to a mixed electoral system of single-member districts with plurality voting and a party list system with proportional representation. The reform had three main objectives: change the one-party dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party from the previous 1955 system to a two-party system with alternation in power, reduce the cost of elections and campaigns, and change campaign focus from individual-centered to party-centered.
context_section_description: The Hosokawa Cabinet lasted from August 9, 1993 to April 28, 1994 and was led by Hosokawa Morihiro. This was largely influenced by Ozawa, who advocated for Hosokawa to lead the coalition of parties that banded together against the LDP.
  At first, reception of the cabinet was positive. In public opinion polls, Hosokawa received an approximate 70% level of support. Ozawa, a key influence during this time, publicized his goals of this new cabinet that included a change in the electoral system of the lower house, anti-corruption legislation, election of politicians who had responsibility to the electorate over the bureaucracy, a system of competitive parties instead of a single party dominate system, and a shift in focus away from personal voting and towards policies and issues.
  The Hosokawa coalition first proposed reform in August 1993 which proposed 500 seats, 250 seats allocated to SMD with plurality voting, while the other 250 seats voted in by proportional representation. However, although the JSP favored maximization of proportional representation, the LDP desired the most SMD seats possible. As for the anti-corruption issues, the LDP advocated a more relaxed regime, while the JSP wanted to ensure legislation against money-related corruption.
  By November 1993, Hosokawa and the new LDP President Kono Yohei put forth a compromise proposal with 274 SMD seats and 226 proportional representation seats. Although this proposal passed in the lower house, in January 1994, members from both the JSP and the LDP voted against this proposal in the lower house.
caption: August 1993. Hosokawa Morihiro as the 50th prime minister of Japan.
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