Japanese House of Councillors election, 1998

The Sangiin - election in 1998, formally the "18 regular election of Sangiinabgeordneten " (Japanese第18回 参议院 议员 通常 选 挙, dai - jūhachi -kai Sangiin Giin tsūjō Senkyo ), the Japanese councils House ( Sangiin ), the House of Lords ( join) of the National Parliament ( Kokkai ) took place on 12 July place in 1998.

In September 1997, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto had been re-elected unopposed for a second term as party chairman after he had succeeded in his first term to restore the one-party government of the LDP. The declared aim of the party election was to regain the majority in Sangiin. The resulting 1996 DPJ had merged in March with three smaller opposition parties and held its first meeting on at Sangiin elections. Through its majority, the opposition could hinder the government's work, in June a vote of no confidence against the government had failed only in Shūgiin.

Main issue in the election was the continued weak economy, the government had to justify, among other things because of the tentative reform and establish a sales tax increase last year.

The turnout was 58.84 % for the direct election and 58.83 % in the proportional representation and recovered so that the record low of 1995 ( 44%). Prior to the election law was amended to leave it open to eight clock the polling stations and to facilitate absentee voting.

Effects

The LDP lost 15 seats and moved away further from an independent upper house majority. Prime Minister Hashimoto announced the day after the election his resignation. In the election for party chairman on 21 July, Keizo Obuchi sat against Seiroku Kajiyama and Jun'ichirô by Koizumi as his successor.

The DPJ chaired by Naoto Kan also gained nine seats and consolidated its leadership in the opposition. The JCP also won nine seats and was first added the third strongest party. The opposition parties won mainly in urban multi -member constituencies added greatly: in 18 electoral districts ( prefectures ) - including Osaka, Aichi, Tōkyō, Saitama and Kanagawa - remained the LDP without seat