1947 Japanese general election

1947 Japanese general election

← 1946 25 April 1947 1949 →

All 468 seats in the House of Representatives
235 seats needed for a majority
Turnout67.95% (Decrease4.13pp)
  First party Second party
 
片山哲 (cropped).jpg
Shigeru Yoshida smiling2.jpg
Leader Tetsu Katayama Shigeru Yoshida
Party Socialist Liberal
Last election 17.90%, 93 seats 24.36%, 141 seats
Seats won 143 131
Seat change Increase 50 Decrease 10
Popular vote 7,176,882 7,312,524
Percentage 26.23% 26.73%
Swing Increase8.33pp Increase2.37pp

  Third party Fourth party
 
Hitoshi Ashida.jpg
Takeo Miki-2-1.jpg
Leader Hitoshi Ashida Takeo Miki
Party Democratic National Cooperative
Last election Did not exist Did not exist
Seats won 124 31
Seat change New New
Popular vote 6,960,270 1,915,948
Percentage 25.44% 7.00%
Swing New New

Districts shaded according to winners' vote strength

Prime Minister before election

Shigeru Yoshida
Liberal

Elected Prime Minister

Tetsu Katayama
Socialist

General elections were held in Japan on 25 April 1947. The Japan Socialist Party won 143 of the 468 seats, making it the largest party in the House of Representatives following the election. Voter turnout was 68%.[1] It was the last election technically held under the Meiji Constitution in preparation for the current Constitution of Japan which became effective several days later on 3 May 1947. The upper house of the Diet was also elected by the people under the new constitution, the first ordinary election of members of the House of Councillors had been held five days before.

Numerous prominent figures were elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in this election, including former Prime Minister and House of Peers member Kijuro Shidehara, then-Prime Minister and former House of Peers member Shigeru Yoshida, and future Prime Ministers Tanzan Ishibashi, Zenko Suzuki and Kakuei Tanaka.

Yoshida remained Prime Minister following the election, acting until a successor was appointed – under the new Constitution, the cabinet depends on parliamentary support and must resign in the first Diet session after a House of Representatives election.

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p381 ISBN 0-19-924959-8

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