Electorate 7,538,808 Number of members 14 | Created 1994 | |
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Prefectures Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima | ||
The Tōhoku proportional representation block (比例[代表]東北ブロック, Hirei [daihyō] Tōhoku burokku) is one of eleven proportional representation (PR) blocks for the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan. It consists of the Tōhoku region, namely the prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima. Upon the introduction of proportional voting at the 1996 general election, the block elected 16 Representatives to the House. The block's representation was reduced to 14 Representatives at the 2000 general election.
Summary of results
All major national parties have managed to obtain at least one of the PR seats in Tōhoku since the introduction of proportional voting in 1996. The region also contains several strongholds: Aomori in particular is a typical "conservative kingdom" and leans towards the LDP alongside with the Western prefectures along the Sea of Japan coast; Iwate is the home of Ichirō Ozawa, former NFP, LP and DPJ president and a "Democratic kingdom" having also the first prefectural parliament in Japan where the Democrats managed to obtain the status of strongest party in 2007.