NEWS
‘The roots of young people’s political disengagement lie in their lack of representation’
This article is originally published at CIVICUS Lens website on 19 June 2025.
CIVICUS discusses Japan’s upcoming election for its upper chamber of parliament with Aoi Horiuchi, Senior Advocacy Officer at the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), a network of civil society organisations (CSOs) working to address global issues.
Scheduled to take place in July, the election for the House of Councillors, the parliamentary chamber responsible for reviewing legislation, comes amid declining voter turnout, rising political disengagement, particularly among young people, and growing concerns over media concentration and proposed constitutional changes. While the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) continues to dominate, public scrutiny on issues of citizen participation, electoral fairness and transparency is intensifying. Despite facing constraints, civil society groups are increasing their efforts to promote voter education and democratic accountability.
What are the structural barriers to fair electoral competition?
Over the years, the government has changed election rules to benefit current members of parliament (MPs) and their parties. One significant obstacle is a ban on campaigning outside the official period, which lasts only 12 days for elections to the House of Representatives and 17 days for the House of Councillors. This means new candidates struggle to convey their policy proposals to their constituencies, while current MPs may do so simply by attending parliamentary sessions and local events, which they do all the time. Additionally, candidates must deposit an amount of money to run for election, and if they don’t get a designated number of votes, the money is taken away. For the next election, it’s somewhere between US$20,000 and US$40,000.
Beyond these systemic issues, the ruling party also manipulates election timing strategically, dissolving parliament to hold elections when the cabinet’s approval rating is high while avoiding elections when ratings are low. This tactical approach was evident in October 2021, when then Prime Minister Kishida dissolved the House of Representatives a week before the official end of its term, trying to appear as a strong leader just a month after winning the LDP leadership election.
Why are young people increasingly disengaged from elections?
The roots of political disengagement run deeper than simple apathy. In recent years, numerous candidates have pursued elections primarily for personal fame or economic gain rather than public service. Many political scandals around bribes, fraud, threats and even suicides have further eroded public trust, resulting in people turning away from politics and elections.
Young people particularly feel unrepresented by mainstream politics. While you can vote from age 18, you cannot stand for election until age 25 for the House of Representatives and 30 for the House of Councillors. Finding politicians even in their 40s proves difficult, as the average age hovers around the mid-50s.
Gender representation presents an equally stark picture. Only 19 per cent of MPs are women: 134 out of 705 as of November 2024. Current electoral rules, combined with gender-biased social norms, actively prevent more female candidates running. This creates a fundamental problem of representation and excludes half the population from meaningful participation in decision-making.
To address these challenges, several civil society groups actively engage with political parties by posing questions before elections, such as on their positions on education funding increases or expanded international aid. These initiatives help voters better understand each party’s policy positions. Some groups focus specifically on helping young voters compare candidates’ policies, working to bridge the information gap that contributes to political disengagement.
How do the media landscape and campaign finance rules shape electoral outcomes?
Traditional media faces growing public scepticism, with increasing numbers of people feeling uncertain about newspapers and TV because they’re perceived as representing elites and big private companies. Consequently, people increasingly rely on social media, which they see as independent, for electoral campaign news, despite the absence of clear regulations governing online political advertising, compared to the strict rules applied to traditional media. This shift has intensified social divisions on political issues, with many people avoiding exposure to different opinions.
Meanwhile, current election laws continue to favour existing candidates through various mechanisms. Wealthy individuals or parties can field more candidates, while strict rules governing online campaigning and prohibitions on door-to-door visits mean famous candidates maintain significant advantages. Perhaps most critically, the system lacks sufficient political debates accessible to the public during election periods, limiting voters’ ability to make informed choices.
Enforcement of the 2018 Act on Promotion of Gender Equality in the Political Field is weak. The law recognises the importance of ensuring equal opportunities for men and women to participate in policy planning and decision-making but includes no penalties for violations. Political parties are only required to make ‘voluntary efforts’ to promote gender equality in politics.
What broader implications could these election results have?
Japan is on the verge of converging economic, political and social crises. Multilateralism is under threat and pressures are mounting for increased defence budgets. Economic downturn and growing inequality are fuelling discrimination, xenophobia and violence against women and girls and other excluded groups.
Since mid-2024, the price of rice, Japan’s staple grain, has skyrocketed, almost doubling in a year. If the ruling parties continue holding a majority of seats after the election, no correction of mishandled agricultural policies will be implemented. If opposition parties have more seats, they will be able to pass legislation on same-sex marriage and a selective surname system for married couples to replace the current system that forces them to adopt a single surname. This is something a majority of people have been long waiting for.
Given that election results may trigger leadership changes in political parties and ministerial reshuffles, voters should consider how Japan can uphold universal values such as human rights, dignity and integrity, consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals.