1979 Japanese general election

1979 Japanese general election

← 1976 7 October 1979 1980 →
All 511 seats in the House of Representatives 256 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	68.01% ( 5.44pp)
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 Sixth party   Leader Kenji Miyamoto Sasaki Ryōsaku [ja] Yōhei Kōno Party JCP Democratic Socialist New Liberal Club Last election 10.38%, 17 seats 6.28%, 29 seats 4.18%, 17 seats Seats won 39 35 4 Seat change 22 6 13 Popular vote 5,625,528 3,663,692 1,631,812 Percentage 10.42% 6.78% 3.02% Swing 0.04pp 0.50pp 1.16pp   Seventh party   Leader Hideo Den Party Socialist Democratic Last election – Seats won 2 Seat change New Popular vote 368,660 Percentage 0.68% Swing New
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.