129: 80 Years Later, Japan’s Big Problem (8)

【Younger Generation】
In any national election, who we vote for reveals our thoughts, attitudes, and values.
 
In last month’s general election in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured more than two-thirds of the seats on its own--something no single party has achieved post-World War II. Toward the end of last year, Sanae Takaichi became prime minister, resuming the hard-right policies of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. As a result, voters who had recently shifted to other far-right parties appear to have returned to the LDP.
 
What’s more, just before the election, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), Japan’s largest liberal party, merged with the conservative Komeito to form a moderate Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA). This move effectively dissolved the largest liberal bloc.
 
As a result, vote shares were as follows:

• Conservatives (LDP, Ishin, Kokumin, Sanseito, CPJ): 69.6%
• Liberals (JCP, Reiwa, Social Democrats): 6.8%
• 62.8%pt conservative win

 
This shows that Japan continues to trend further in a conservative direction:

• Previous upper house election (7/2025): 42.2%pt margin [See #122]
• Previous general election (10/2024): 25%pt margin [See #116]

 
In Tokyo:

• The LDP won all 30 single-seat districts--an astonishing clean sweep by conservatives.

 
In the proportional representation vote in Tokyo:

• Conservatives: 60.5%
• Liberals: 9.9%
• 50.6%pt conservative win

 
Comparing these results with the last US presidential election (11/2024):

• A conservative win by only 1.5%pts
• In urban centers, liberals won by 53-64%pts
• In the most conservative states, conservatives won by 37-46%pts

 
It’s clear that even in Tokyo, Japan remains strikingly more conservative than the US. [See #123]
 
Another key difference between Japan and America lies in generational trends. Among those who report having a political party preference:
 
JPN (NHK survey immediately after the latest general election):

• 18-39: Liberal 4% vs Conservative 93%
• 40s:      Liberal 4% vs Conservative 83%
• 50s:      Liberal 9% vs Conservative 75%
• 60s:      Liberal 4% vs Conservative 69%
• 70s:   Liberal 12% vs Conservative 70%
• 80+:      Liberal 9% vs Conservative 76%

 
US (Pew Research Center, 4/2024):

• >25:     Liberal 66% vs Conservative 34%
• 25-29: Liberal 64% vs Conservative 32%
• 30s:     Liberal 55% vs Conservative 42%
• 40s:     Liberal 50% vs Conservative 47%
• 50s:     Liberal 47% vs Conservative 50%
• 60s:     Liberal 43% vs Conservative 53%
• 70s:     Liberal 46% vs Conservative 51%
• 80+:     Liberal 39% vs Conservative 58%

 
In Japan, every age group is overwhelmingly conservative--and notably, the youngest generation is the most conservative (89%pt margin among those under age 40).
 
America shows the opposite pattern: younger generations are more liberal, with the youngest generation being the most liberal (32%pt margin among those under age 30).
 
In the US, this trend begins to reverse among people in their 50s, where conservatives start to outnumber liberals. This shift aligns with the rise of inclusive education following the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s [See #7]. Those educated before that period tend to be more conservative, while those educated afterward tend to be more liberal.
 
In contrast, Japan has maintained an education system where people learn as the government wishes to teach, continuing a memorization-heavy education [See #125]. Without sufficient development of inclusive education/environments [See Previous], and as the lived misery of war fades, people’s thoughts, attitudes, and values seem to gradually revert to prewar patterns [See #4], [#65].
 
In the next post, we’ll explore possible solutions to this big problem.

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