Japanese Election Maps

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Might be a few errors here and there but hey.

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Worth noting that some (but by no means all) of the insanely high LDP percentages are in constituencies where there was only a JCP candidate running against them. But that in itself generally reflects a seat that's utterly safe anyway...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Interesting to see the overwhelming LDP strength in the southwestern periphery (including, of course, Abe's own seat in Yamaguchi). That's been--in various guises--a very 'establishment' area ever since the Meiji Restoration.

Is there any reason for this beyond general cultural conservatism/relative lack of urbanisation? Although a certain... er... obvious point of comparison between Kyushu and Sicily can be made

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Most of the high percentages in rural constituencies stem purely from the fact that the JCP were the only party to put up a candidate against this or that LDP incumbent. But not entirely: JCP strength in Kochi prefecture is 100% kosher. And bizarre as they are very weak on the rest of Shikoku.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

DP and its predecessors are strong-ish in Tokyo, Nagoya, and points northeast.

Having inherited most of the old Socialist Party's organised working class support, though more in some parts of the country than others.

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Yes they have a lot in common. Hilariously in two inner city Osaka constituencies in 2014 there was a straight fight between Komeito and JCP candidates. Osaka is weird.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

There's a lot that's weird demographically about Kōchi. When I was doing the Japanese religious demographics maps I discovered that it's considerably more attached to Shinto qua Shinto than practically anywhere else in Japan, including, as here, the rest of Shikoku.

Isolation is obviously a factor (it being the part of the island on the 'wrong' side of the mountains) but you have to wonder how this sort of thing starts.

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I remember reading that they once based an election campaign (late 70s or early 80s) around opposition to what they labeled as 'the four sins'. Which were drugs, violence, sex and gambling.