1986 Japanese general election

{{Short description|General election in Japan held in 1986}}

{{Infobox election

| country = Japan

| flag_year = 1870

| type = parliamentary

| previous_election = 1983 Japanese general election | previous_year = 1983 | election_date = 6 July 1986 | next_election = 1990 Japanese general election| next_year = 1990

| seats_for_election = All 512 seats in the House of Representatives

| majority_seats = 257

| turnout = 71.40% ({{increase}}3.46pp)

| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image = Yasuhiro_Nakasone_19850719_2.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}

| leader1 = Yasuhiro Nakasone

| party1 = Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

| last_election1 = 45.76%, 250 seats

| seats1 = 300

| seat_change1 = {{increase}}50

| popular_vote1 = 29,875,501

| percentage1 = 49.42%

| swing1 = {{increase}}3.66pp

| image2 = {{CSS image crop|Image = Masashi_Ishibashi.jpg|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}

| leader2 = Masashi Ishibashi

| party2 = Japan Socialist Party

| last_election2 = 19.49%, 112 seats

| seats2 = 85

| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}27

| popular_vote2 = 10,412,584

| percentage2 = 17.23%

| swing2 = {{decrease}}2.26pp

| image3 = {{CSS image crop|Image = Yoshikatsu-Takeiri-3.png|bSize = 120|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}

| leader3 = {{nowrap|Yoshikatsu Takeiri}}

| party3 = Kōmeitō (1962–1998)

| last_election3 = 10.12%, 58 seats

| seats3 = 56

| seat_change3 = {{decrease}}3

| popular_vote3 = 5,701,277

| percentage3 = 9.43%

| swing3 = {{decrease}}0.69pp

| image4 = {{CSS image crop|Image = The-Zenei-1967-January-Special-1.png|bSize = 135|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 0|oLeft = 0}}

| leader4 = Tetsuzo Fuwa

| party4 = Japanese Communist Party

| last_election4 = 9.34%, 26 seats

| seats4 = 26

| seat_change4 = {{steady}}

| popular_vote4 = 5,313,246

| percentage4 = 8.79%

| swing4 = {{decrease}}0.55pp

| image5 =

| leader5 = Tsukamoto Saburō

| leader_since5 =

| party5 = Democratic Socialist Party (Japan)

| last_election5 = 7.27%, 38 seats

| seats5 = 26

| seat_change5 = {{decrease}}12

| popular_vote5 = 3,895,858

| percentage5 = 6.44%

| swing5 = {{decrease}}0.83pp

| image6 = 160x160px

| leader6 = Yōhei Kōno

| party6 = New Liberal Club

| last_election6 = 2.36%, 8 seats

| seats6 = 6

| seat_change6 = {{decrease}}2

| popular_vote6 = 1,114,800

| percentage6 = 1.64%

| swing6 = {{decrease}}0.72pp

| map = {{Switcher

| 400px

| Elected MPs and the leading party by vote share in each multimember district

| 400px

| Districts where the LDP (green) or opposition (blue) won most seats; teal for ties

}}

| title = Prime Minister

| before_election = Yasuhiro Nakasone | before_party = Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

| after_election = Yasuhiro Nakasone | after_party = Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

}}{{Politics of Japan}}

General elections were held in Japan on 6 July 1986 to elect the 512 members of the House of Representatives, alongside elections for the House of Councillors. The result was a landslide victory for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which gained 50 seats and an outright majority in the House.{{Cite journal |last=Inoguchi |first=Takashi |date=1987 |title=The Japanese double election of 6 July 1986 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0261379487900539 |journal=Electoral Studies |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=63–69 |doi=10.1016/0261-3794(87)90053-9 |issn=0261-3794}}{{Cite news |last=Haberman |first=Clyde |date=1986-07-13 |title=MODERN JAPAN, LAND OF SUPERSTITION |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/13/world/modern-japan-land-of-superstition.html |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} The LDP's 300 seats remains its joint-best general election result.

Most opposition parties lost seat, the exceptions being the Japanese Communist Party (which remained at 26 seats) and the Socialist Democratic Federation, which gained one seat. The biggest losses were experienced by the Japan Socialist Party, which lost 27 seats. The Democratic Socialist Party saw a 12-seat loss, while Kōmeitō saw a loss of three seats and the New Liberal Club, which had been in coalition with the LDP, lost two seats.

Prior to election day, polls indicated that the LDP would win a victory,{{Cite news |last=Haberman |first=Clyde |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1986-07-06 |title=NAKASONE'S FATE RESTS ON VOTE TODAY |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/06/world/nakasone-s-fate-rests-on-vote-today.html |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} but the size of the victory was considered unexpected. The New York Times wrote that "the fragmented opposition could not catch fire with any campaign issue." Economic policy was not sharply contested in the campaign; however, the Japanese economy had seen its first quarter of contraction in 11 years.{{Cite news |date=1986 |title=Nakasone Party Wins Landslide |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1986/07/07/nakasone-party-wins-landslide/66c1d478-3469-4900-8102-658be6bd843a/ |work=The Washington Post}}