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Sapporo High Court Calls July Upper House Vote an Unconstitutional State

The judgment adds legal pressure for electoral reform by spotlighting persistent malapportionment.

Overview

  • The court found a maximum 3.13-to-1 vote-value gap in the July House of Councillors election and dismissed requests to void the results.
  • In Nanjo, Okinawa, 18 of 20 newly elected city council members back a renewed no-confidence motion over Mayor Keishun Koja’s alleged misconduct, setting up likely removal.
  • Kamisu, Ibaraki, reported an exact mayoral tie, with incumbent Susumu Ishida and challenger Toshiyuki Kinouchi receiving 16,724 votes each.
  • Authorities responded to bear hazards by temporarily closing Sapporo’s Maruyama Zoo after tracks were found and by authorizing an emergency cull of three bears in Sakata, Yamagata.
  • The Nippon-Ham Fighters extended slugger Franmil Reyes after his home run and RBI titles, and table tennis champions Hina Hayata and Matsushima won singles in Frankfurt.