1960 Japanese general election

1960 Japanese general election

← 1958 20 November 1960 1963 →
All 467 seats in the House of Representatives of Japan 234 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	73.5% ( 3.5%)
First party Second party   Leader Hayato Ikeda Saburō Eda Party Liberal Democratic Socialist Leader's seat Hiroshima–2nd Not contesting (Councilor) Seats won 296 145 Seat change 9 21 Popular vote 22,740,272 10,887,134 Percentage 57.6% 27.6% Swing 0.2pp 5.4pp   Third party Fourth party   Leader Suehiro Nishio Kenji Miyamoto Party Democratic Socialist Communist Leader's seat Osaka–2nd Did not contest Seats won 17 3 Seat change New 2 Popular vote 3,464,148 1,156,723 Percentage 8.8% 2.9% Swing New 0.4pp
Prime Minister before election Hayato Ikeda Liberal Democratic Prime Minister after election Hayato Ikeda Liberal Democratic

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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]

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[]

References[]