Ruling on 2025 election’s ‘unconstitutional state’ raises questions on electoral reform

Judges of the Supreme Court in Tokyo on Wednesday | POOL /VIA JIJI

Nov 13, 2026

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the July 2025 Upper House election took place in an “unconstitutional state.” Although it said the election would not be invalidated, the decision once again puts a spotlight on the debate over electoral reform. But any changes require parliamentary agreement, and despite the ruling, that’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Here’s a look at some of the basic questions the ruling has raised.

What happened with the ruling?

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