House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on July 21, 2013 to elect the members of the upper house of the National Diet. In the previous elections 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.

Background Japan had been in a situation since 2007, in which opposite parties/coalitions control the houses of the Diet of Japan (government lower house majority, opposition upper house majority), 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.

Just prior to the election, the U.S. dollar fell against the yen on expectations of more momentum for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's aggressive monetary easing to fight deflation and boost growth for the export-dominant economy of Japan. Abe's LDP and its coalition partner, the New Komeito party, were tipped to win a majority and end years of parliamentary stalemate so as to enable economic reforms. However, his critics suggested that a strong mandate could even make Abe complacent.

Opinion polling

In the run-up to the election, various organizations conducted opinion polls to gauge voting intentions for the 48 proportional seats. Polls are listed in chronological order, showing the oldest first.

Date Institute LDP DPJ JRP NKP YP PLP JCP U/O 9–10 March JNN 37.5% 8.1% 3.6% 2.2% 2.7% - 2.2% 43.7% 23–24 March FNN 41.8% 5.3% 9.6% - 4.7% - - - April Kyodo News 48.2% 6.7% 10.4% 3.9% 4.5% 0.5% 3.2% 22.6% 18–19 May Kyodo News 44.4% 6.8% 5.7% 4.4% 5.2% 0.3% 3.1% 30.1% 1–2 June Kyodo News 44.6% 7.9% 4.5% 6.4% 4.0% 0.3% 2.6% 29.7% 8–9 June Asahi Shimbun 45% 7% 5% 5% 6% - 4% 28% 8–10 June Yomiuri Shimbun 44% 7% 5% 5% 4% - 3% 32% 29–30 June Mainichi Shimbun 45% 8% 5% 6% 7% - 4% 25% 29–30 June Asahi Shimbun 44% 7% 7% 4% 7% - 5% 26% 2 July Yomiuri Shimbun 42% 9% 5% 6% 5% - 4% 29% 13–14 July Asahi Shimbun 43% 6% 6% 8% 6% - 6% 25% 13–14 July Kyodo News 30.6% 7.4% 4.9% 7.0% 3.3% - 3.8% 43% 13–14 July Mainichi Shimbun 37% 7% 8% 8% 8% - 4% 28% 17 July The Nikkei 39% 10% 8% 8% 7% - 6% 22% Note: U/O - Undecided or other

Cabinet approval and disapproval ratings

Pre-election composition Note: Composition as of July 13, 2013.

↓ 62 44 28 5 10 34 59 Opposition seats not up DPJ seats up LDP seats up Coalition seats not up

Results The ruling coalition won 76 seats and now holds a total of 135 seats in the House of Councillors ending the divided Diet.

Of the 31 single-member districts the LDP won 29; only in Iwate and Okinawa, opposition incumbents could hold their seats. The ten two-member districts elected ten LDP and ten opposition members; in several prefectures the second seat went to parties other than the DPJ: In Hyōgo to the JRP, in Miyagi to YP and in Kyōto to the JCP. Twelve of the 22 seats in three-, four and five-member districts went to LDP and Kōmeitō candidates. In the nationwide proportional race, the coalition parties won 25 seats, the opposition parties 23.

Summary Parties LDP NK DPJ PNP YP JCP JRP SDP PLP NRP OSMP GW NPD Others Indep. Subtotal Subtotal Vacant Total Last election (2010) Opposition Government Opposition Split Opposition Government 84 19 106 3 11 6 3SPJ 4 — 2 1 — — 1HRP 2 131 110 — 242 After 2012 House of Representatives electionOpening session 182nd Diet Government Opposition Split Government Opposition 83 19 88 3 11 6 3 4 8 2 1 4 2 0 2 103 133 6 242 Before this electionClosing session 183rd Diet Government Opposition Government Opposition 84 19 86 — 13 6 3 4 8 2 1 4 1 — 6 103 134 5 242 Not Up 50 9 42 — 10 3 1 2 2 1 — — — — 1 59 62 — 121 Up Total 34 10 44 — 3 3 2 2 6 1 1 4 1 — 5 44 72 5 121 29 single-member districts 6 — 10 — 1 — — — 1 — 1 2 — — 4 6 19 4 29 2 two-member districtsreapportioned to one seat 1 — 2 — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 2 1 4 10 two-member districts 10 — 8 — — — — — 2 — — — — — — 10 10 — 20 Three- and five-member districtsTwo 3-member districts reapportioned to 4 seats 5 3 8 — 2 — 1 — — — — 1 — — — 8 12 — 20 Nationwide proportional 12 7 16 — — 3 1 2 3 1 — 1 1 — 1 19 29 — 48 Candidates Total 78 21 55 — 34 63 44 9 11 — 1 8 11 71 27 99 334 — 433 31 single-member districts 31 — 19 — 5 30 2 1 2 — 1 2 — 32 14 31 108 — 139 10 two-member districts 10 — 10 — 8 10 7 1 2 — — — 1 12 2 10 53 — 63 Three-, four- and five-member districts 8 4 6 — 6 6 5 3 1 — — 3 1 15 11 12 57 — 69 Nationwide proportional 29 17 20 — 15 17 30 4 6 — — 3 9 12 — 46 116 — 162 Elected Total 65 11 17 — 8 8 8 1 — — 1 — — — 2 76 45 — 121 31 single-member districts 29 — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 29 2 — 31 10 two-member districts 10 — 7 — 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — 10 10 — 20 Three-, four- and five-member districts 8 4 3 — 3 2 1 — — — — — — — 1 12 10 — 22 Nationwide proportional 18 7 7 — 4 5 6 1 — — — — — — — 25 23 — 48 Result 115 20 59 — 18 11 9 3 2 1 1 — — — 3 135 107 — 242 Opening session 184th Diet(by parliamentary group) 114(113) 20(20) 59(58) — 18(18) 11(11) 9(9) 3(3) 2(2) 1(3) 1(—) — — — 3(4) 134  107  1  242 

Differences between party and parliamentary group membership in the post-election opening session: Two independents caucus with the NRP, President Masaaki Yamazaki (LDP – Fukui), Vice-President Azuma Koshiishi (DPJ – Yamanashi) and Keiko Itokazu (OSMP – Okinawa) are independents in terms of parliamentary group.

Results by electoral district Abbreviations and translations used in this table for (nominating – endorsing) parties: L – Liberal Democratic Party D – Democratic Party K – Kōmeitō C - Japanese Communist Party S – Social Democratic Party I – Independent Ishin – Japan Restoration Association (Nippon Ishin no Kai) Minna – Your Party (Minna no Tō) PLP – People's Life Party Daichi – New Party Daichi Mikaze – Green Wind (Midori no kaze) Midori – Greens Japan (Midori no tō gurīnzu japan) OS – Okinawa Socialist Mass Party NRP – New Renaissance Party HRP – Happiness Realization Party LF/TPJ (in reference to vacant seats) – People's Life First (LF) members of the House of Councillors who resigned from or lost their seats in late 2012 to contest the House of Representatives election as candidates for the Tomorrow Party of Japan (TPJ)