Japan Govt to Soon Submit Lower House Seat Reduction Bill That Could Take Effect in FY27

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:29 JST, December 4, 2025

The ruling coalition plans to submit the bill reducing the number of House of Representatives seats to the Diet as early as Friday, after securing approval from the LDP following a review process.

The LDP held a joint meeting of the Internal Affairs and Communications Division and the Headquarters for Political System Reform on Wednesday, and decided to entrust the matter to Katsunobu Kato, head of the headquarters.

The Japan Innovation Party had also approved the submission of the bill to the Diet at an executive meeting.

The LDP had postponed approval at the joint meeting held the previous day, due to dissenting opinions.

“We gained understanding from the perspectives of advancing policy and executing the policy agreement with the JIP,” Kato told reporters after the meeting.

LDP party executives were to proceed with internal party procedures for submitting the bill to the Diet.

Meanwhile, JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters on Wednesday: “It would be impossible to reduce the number of seats if we consider party self-interest and strategy. Even if [our home base of] Osaka sees fewer seats, we are prepared for that.”

The bill mandates an around 10% reduction in the current 465 seats, to be implemented in fiscal 2027 or later. It requires the ruling and opposition parties to discuss specific reduction methods, with the measure taking effect regardless of whether a conclusion is reached within a one-year deadline.