Japanese House of Councillors election, 2013

Japanese House of Councillors election, 2013

← 2010 July 21, 2013 2016 →
121 (of the 242) seats in the House of Councillors
First party Second party   Leader Shinzō Abe Banri Kaieda Party Liberal Democratic Democratic Leader since 26 September 2012 25 December 2012 Last election 84 33.38% (Prefectural) 24.07% (National) 106 38.97% (Prefectural) 31.56% (National) Seats before 84 86 Seats after 115 59 Seat change 31 27 Popular vote 22,681,192 (Prefectural) 18,460,404 (National) 8,646,371 (Prefectural) 7,134,215 (National) Percentage 42.74% (Prefectural) 34.68% (National) 16.29% (Prefectural) 13.40% (National)
Seats won by parties
President of the House of Councillors before election Kenji Hirata Democratic Elected President of the House of Councillors Masaaki Yamazaki Liberal Democratic

Kenji Hirata
Democratic

Masaaki Yamazaki
Liberal Democratic

The 23rd Elections to the House of Councillors (第23回参議院議員通常選挙, Dainijūsankai Sangiingiin Tsūjōsenkyo^?, "23rd regular/ordinary election of members of the House of Councillors") for the upper house of the National Diet, the legislature of Japan, was held on July 21, 2013. In the last election in 2010, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) remained the largest party, but the DPJ-led ruling coalition lost its majority. The House of Councillors is elected by halves to six year terms. In 2013, the class of Councillors elected in 2007 was up.

Japan had been in a "twisted parliament" situation since 2007, in which neither major party controlled both houses of the Diet of Japan, leading to political paralysis on a number of issues. Shinzo Abe led the Liberal Democratic Party to victory in the December 2012 general election after several years in the opposition. In campaigning to win control of the House of Councillors, Abe sought to resolve the "twisted parliament" problem for the next three years.