Overview
- The LDP formally presented a plan on Thursday to reduce House of Representatives proportional seats by 31 and to replace the current D'Hondt allocation with a modified Sainte‑Laguë formula.
- Japan Innovation did not oppose the offer and the Democratic Party for the People said parts of the proposal were worth praise, as parties set a goal to reach an agreement by the end of the month.
- Switching from D'Hondt to a modified Sainte‑Laguë formula changes how votes translate into seats and tends to increase seat chances for small and medium parties, which could alter coalition and opposition bargaining.
- In sports news on Thursday, the NPB draft concluded with Hokkaido Nippon‑Ham selecting Haruki Komoda No.1 and several university and high‑school players taken by Chunichi, SoftBank, Yakult and DeNA; regional play also saw Koza and Okinawa Shogaku depart for the Kyushu autumn tournament and Levan'ga's winning streak end.
- The 31‑seat proposal is a retreat from an earlier 45‑seat cut sought by the ruling side, and if accepted it would change party incentives and voter representation in lower‑house proportional blocks, shaping how future coalitions form and how smaller parties campaign.