House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on 12 July 1998.

Quick Facts 126 of the 252 seats in the House of Councillors 127 seats needed for a majority, First party ...

1998 Japanese House of Councillors election

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126 of the 252 seats in the House of Councillors 127 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Ryutaro Hashimoto Naoto Kan Tetsuzo Fuwa Party Liberal Democratic Democratic Communist Last election 107 seats, 27.3% – 14 seats, 9.5% Seats after 102 47 23 Seat change 5 New 9 Popular vote 14,128,719 12,209,685 8,195,078 Percentage 25.2% 21.8% 14.6% Swing 2.1pp New 5.1pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Toshiko Hamayotsu Takako Doi Ichirō Ozawa Party Komeito Social Democratic Liberal Last election Did not contest 38 seats, 16.9% – Seats after 22 13 12 Seat change 11 25 New Popular vote 7,748,301 4,370,763 5,207,813 Percentage 13.8% 7.8% 9.3% Swing – 9.1pp New
President of the House of Councillors before election Juro Saito Liberal Democratic Elected President of the House of Councillors Juro Saito Liberal Democratic

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The LDP under Ryūtarō Hashimoto had restored single-party government in 1996 and was now aiming to also regain clear control of the House of Councillors where it was several seats short of a majority. Instead, it lost 13 seats in the election giving the opposition clear control. Prime minister Hashimoto resigned. Keizō Obuchi was elected LDP president on July 24, defeating Seiroku Kajiyama and Junichirō Koizumi.

On July 30, 1998, Obuchi was designated as prime minister by the Diet against the vote of the House of Councillors where DPJ president Naoto Kan beat Obuchi by 142 to 103 votes. Obuchi entered coalition negotiations in late 1998. In January 1999, the LDP entered a ruling coalition with Ichirō Ozawa's Liberal Party, bringing the government within few seats of a majority; in October 1999, New Komeito also entered the coalition, ending the divided Diet.