1960 Japanese general election

'General elections were held in Japan on 20 November 1960.^[1] The result was a victory for the Liberal Democratic Party, which won 296 of the 467 seats. Voter turnout was 73.5%, the lowest since the 1947 general elections.^[2]

1960 Japanese general election

← 1958 20 November 1960 1963 →
All 467 seats in the House of Representatives 234 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	73.50% ( 3.48pp)
First party Second party   Leader Hayato Ikeda Saburō Eda (replacing Inejirō Asanuma †) Party LDP Socialist Last election 57.80%, 287 seats 32.94%, 166 seats Seats won 296 145 Seat change 9 21 Popular vote 22,740,272 10,887,134 Percentage 57.56% 27.56% Swing 0.24pp 5.88pp   Third party Fourth party   Leader Suehiro Nishio Kenji Miyamoto Party Democratic Socialist JCP Last election Did not exist 2.55%, 1 seat Seats won 17 3 Seat change New 2 Popular vote 3,464,148 1,156,723 Percentage 8.77% 2.93% Swing New 0.38pp
Districts shaded according to winners' vote strength
Prime Minister before election Hayato Ikeda LDP Elected Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda LDP

Background

The elections came near the end of a turbulent year marked by violent labour disputes at Mitsui Miike Coal Mine, the "May 19th Incident" in which Nobusuke Kishi and LDP lawmakers in the Diet forced the revised US-Japan Security Treaty through parliament (causing an upsurge in the Anpo protests), and the assassination of Japan Socialist Party (JSP) leader Inejirō Asanuma by wakizashi-wielding right-wing youth named Otoya Yamaguchi. Prior to the elections there were a number of left-wing street protests and right-wing vigilante actions.

Campaign

As public antipathy was largely towards Kishi and his cabinet, rather than flagship LDP policies, the election was not a setback for the party. Kishi's successor, Hayato Ikeda, was popular for his moderate attitude and public image as a practical finance minister, and LDP candidates focused heavily on issues such as maintaining already-strong economic growth. Ikeda made a splash with his promise to double the national income in ten years, known as the "Income Doubling Plan," which also promised economic benefits such as tax cuts to small businesses, farmers, and consumers.

The LDP also benefitted from factionalism in the JSP, as the more moderate and anti-communist Democratic Socialist Party seceded from the JSP at the beginning of the year, leading to a spoiler effect.^[2]

Results

Although the LDP saw a small reduction in its vote share compared to the 1958 elections and the JSP and DSP collectively received around 1.3 million more votes than the united JSP did in the 1958 elections, the LDP gained nine seats, while the JSP and DSP lost a net four seats.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Liberal Democratic Party	22,740,272	57.56	296	+9
	Japan Socialist Party	10,887,134	27.56	145	–21
	Democratic Socialist Party	3,464,148	8.77	17	New
	Japanese Communist Party	1,156,723	2.93	3	+2
	Other parties	141,941	0.36	1	–
	Independents	1,118,905	2.83	5	–7
Total		39,509,123	100.00	467	0
Valid votes		39,509,123	98.97
Invalid/blank votes		410,996	1.03
Total votes		39,920,119	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		54,312,993	73.50
Source: Baerwald, Mackie

By prefecture

Prefecture	Total seats	Seats won
		LDP	JSP	DSP	JCP	Others	Ind.
Aichi	19	12	6	1
Akita	8	5	3
Aomori	7	6	1
Chiba	13	10	3
Ehime	9	7	2
Fukui	4	3	1
Fukuoka	19	10	7	2
Fukushima	12	7	4	1
Gifu	9	5	3				1
Gunma	10	6	4
Hiroshima	12	8	3	1
Hokkaido	22	12	10
Hyōgo	18	10	6	1			1
Ibaraki	12	9	3
Ishikawa	6	5	1
Iwate	8	6	2
Kagawa	6	4	1				1
Kagoshima	11	9	2
Kanagawa	13	8	3	2
Kōchi	5	4	1
Kumamoto	10	7	3
Kyoto	10	4	3	2	1
Mie	9	5	2	1			1
Miyagi	9	6	3
Miyazaki	6	4	2
Nagano	13	8	5
Nagasaki	9	6	3
Nara	5	4	1
Niigata	15	8	7
Ōita	7	5	2
Okayama	10	7	3
Osaka	19	7	7	3	2
Saga	5	3	1			1
Saitama	13	8	4	1
Shiga	5	2	2				1
Shimane	5	4	1
Shizuoka	14	10	4
Tochigi	10	6	4
Tokushima	5	4	1
Tokyo	27	15	11	1
Tottori	4	3	1
Toyama	6	4	2
Wakayama	6	4	2
Yamagata	8	6	2
Yamaguchi	9	6	2	1
Yamanashi	5	4	1
Total	467	296	145	17	3	1	5

References

1. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume II, p363 ISBN 0-19-924959-8
2. Douglas H. Mendel, Jr. (1961). "Behind the 1960 Japanese Diet Election". Asian Survey. 1 (1): 3–12. doi:10.2307/3023661. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 3023661.