1959 Japanese House of Councillors election

1959 Japanese House of Councillors election

2 June 1959

127 of the 250 seats in the House of Councillors
126 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Nobusuke Kishi Mosaburō Suzuki
Party LDP Socialist
Seats after 132 85
Seat change 10 5
Popular vote 12,120,598 7,794,754
Percentage 41.2% 26.5%
Swing 4.5% 3.4%

  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Sanzō Nosaka
Party Ryokufūkai JCP
Seats after 11 3
Seat change 20 1
Popular vote 2,382,703 551,196
Percentage 8.1% 1.9%
Swing 2.0% 0.2%

President of the House of Councillors before election

Yūzō Shigemune
LDP

President of the House of Councillors-designate

Yutaka Terao
LDP

House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on 2 June 1959, electing half the seats in the House. The Liberal Democratic Party won the most seats. Kōji Harashima, who later become a founding member and the first chairman of Kōmeitō, was elected to the Diet for the first time as one of several Soka Gakkai-affiliated independents.

During the campaign, Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and MITI began to discuss the now-famous "income doubling" plan, although it was temporarily shelved due to disputes between party factions and the looming importance of the US–Japan Security Treaty revision issue. The plan would not be revived until the tenure of Hayato Ikeda, beginning in 1960.