Japan’s ruling coalition is preparing to submit a bill to reduce the number of seats in the House of Representatives, with the move expected as early as Friday after the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) gave its internal approval. The decision followed a joint meeting of the LDP’s Internal Affairs and Communications Division and the Political System Reform Headquarters, which agreed to entrust final procedures to Katsunobu Kato, head of the reform headquarters.
The Japan Innovation Party (JIP) has also approved submitting the bill. The LDP had delayed its decision the previous day due to internal disagreements, but party executives have now begun the formal process for Diet submission. Kato said the approval came after reaching understanding on both policy advancement and fulfilling agreements made with the JIP.
JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura voiced support for the reduction, noting that political self-interest should not determine seat allocation—even if it results in fewer seats for Osaka, the party’s stronghold.
The bill calls for roughly a 10% cut from the current 465 seats, with the change slated to take effect in fiscal 2027 or later. It also requires ruling and opposition parties to discuss detailed methods of reduction, but the cut will proceed automatically even if no agreement is reached within a year.