1979 Japanese general election

1979 Japanese general election

← 1976 7 October 1979 1980 →
All 511 seats in the House of Representatives of Japan 256 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	68.01% (5.44%)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Masayoshi Ōhira Ichio Asukata Yoshikatsu Takeiri Party LDP Socialist Kōmeitō Last election 41.78%, 249 seats, 20.69%, 123 seats 10.91%, 55 seats Seats won 248 107 57 Seat change 1 16 2 Popular vote 24,084,131 10,643,450 5,282,683 Percentage 44.59% 19.71% 9.78% Swing 2.81pp 0.98pp 1.13pp   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Kenji Miyamoto Sasaki Ryōsaku Party JCP Democratic Socialist Last election 10.38%, 17 seats 6.28%, 29 seats Seats won 39 35 Seat change 22 6 Popular vote 5,625,528 3,663,692 Percentage 10.42% 6.78% Swing 0.04pp 0.40pp
Districts shaded according to winners' vote strength
Prime Minister before election Masayoshi Ōhira LDP Elected Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira LDP

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General elections were held in Japan on 7 October 1979 to elect the 511 members of the House of Representatives. Prime Minister Ōhira Masayoshi's announcement that a consumption (sales) tax would be imposed was a hot-button issue in the run-up to the election. Facing widespread public disapproval, the prime minister abandoned the tax proposal.^[1] The prime minister's party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), ended up losing one seat, while the Japan Communist Party experienced a surge in voter support and its best ever electoral result, which mostly came at the expense of the Japan Socialist Party and the LDP-breakaway New Liberal Club.

This was the first election in the LDP's history in which the party increased its share of the popular vote compared to the previous election.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Liberal Democratic Party	24,084,131	44.59	248	–1
	Japan Socialist Party	10,643,450	19.71	107	–16
	Japanese Communist Party	5,625,528	10.42	39	+22
	Kōmeitō	5,282,683	9.78	57	+2
	Democratic Socialist Party	3,663,692	6.78	35	+6
	New Liberal Club	1,631,812	3.02	4	–13
	Socialist Democratic Federation	368,660	0.68	2	New
	Other parties	69,101	0.13	0	–
	Independents	2,641,064	4.89	19	–2
Total		54,010,121	100.00	511	0
Valid votes		54,010,121	99.06
Invalid/blank votes		511,892	0.94
Total votes		54,522,013	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		80,169,924	68.01
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, National Diet