This summer, the House of Councillors election is scheduled for July 28, marking the end of the current term. Here is a list of prospective candidates, key news, and historical context for the Kanagawa electoral district (4 seats up for election).
[Key to the list] ▽Name, affiliated party, incumbent/newcomer status, title (honorifics omitted). Order follows (1) House of Councillors party strength (2) Japanese syllabary. Party abbreviations: LDP = Liberal Democratic Party, CDP = Constitutional Democratic Party, Komeito = Komeito, Ishin = Japan Innovation Party, JCP = Japanese Communist Party, DPFP = Democratic Party for the People, Reiwa = Reiwa Shinsengumi, SDP = Social Democratic Party, Sanseito = Sanseito. Minor political groups are labeled as “Minor Parties.” Independent = Unaffiliated. ▽List includes candidates who declared their candidacy for the Kanagawa electoral district as of June 16.
Parties are gearing up for the final battle in the Kanagawa electoral district, where four seats are at stake.
The voter turnout in the previous 2022 House of Councillors election in Kanagawa was 54.51%. The highest turnout was recorded in 1980 at 69.95%—the first simultaneous upper and lower house election in constitutional history—while the lowest was 40.88% in 1995. In recent years, turnout has hovered around 50%, making increasing participation a key challenge.
The Kanagawa electoral district has seen its share of political drama, including incumbent ministers losing their seats and LDP candidates suffering mutual defeats when the number of seats increased.
