Japan's general election race begins in earnest, vying for 465 House seats

Japan's House of Representatives elections have begun in earnest, starting with candidate registration.

As a result of the closing of candidate registration at 5 p.m. today, the total number of candidates, including district and proportional representatives, was 1,344, which is 293 more than 1,051 at the time of the October 2021 election.

The leaders of the ruling and opposition parties took to the streets in unison on the start of the official election campaign.

The general election vote, which will be held on the 27th, will determine the owner of 465 seats in the entire House of Representatives, including 176 proportional representation seats in 289 districts and 11 districts across the country.

The general election is an election asking for confidence in Ishiba's cabinet, which was launched on the 1st, and Prime Minister Ishiba dissolved the House of Representatives eight days after becoming prime minister on the 1st.