Universal Manhood Suffrage Law

The Universal Manhood Suffrage Law (普通選挙法, Futsū Senkyo Hō) was a law passed in Taishō period Japan, extending suffrage to all males aged 25 and over in accordance with the principle of universal manhood suffrage, also known as "one man, one vote".[1] Proposed by the Kenseitō political party, the law was enacted thanks to activism by the Universal Suffrage Movement in Japan and decades of organizing by the Universal Suffrage League. It was passed by the Diet of Japan on 29 March, 1925,[2] before being promulgated on 5 May of the same year.

The law increased the electorate from 3,341,000 to 12,534,360.[1]

  1. ^ a b Colegrove, Kenneth (1929). "Labor Parties in Japan". American Political Science Review. 23 (2): 329–363. doi:10.2307/1945218. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1945218. S2CID 145649163.
  2. ^ "Japan Grants Vote Right to 4,000,000 More". Chicago Daily Tribune. March 30, 1925. p. 3.