2023 Ōita at-large district by-election was held on 23 April 2023 because Kiyoshi Adachi resigned as a member of the House of Councillors.
| Election Name: | 2023 Ōita at-large district by-election |
| Country: | Ōita |
| Type: | by-election |
| Seats For Election: | Ōita at-large district |
| Previous Election: | 2019 Japanese House of Councillors election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2025 Japanese House of Councillors election |
| Next Year: | 2025 |
| Election Date: | 23 April 2023 |
| Turnout: | 42.48% |
| Nominee1: | Aki Shirasaka |
| Party1: | Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) |
| Popular Vote1: | 196,122 |
| Percentage1: | 50.04% |
| Nominee2: | Tadatomo Yoshida |
| Party2: | Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan |
| Popular Vote2: | 195,781 |
| Percentage2: | 49.96% |
| Councillor | |
| Before Election: | Kiyoshi Adachi |
| Before Party: | Independent politician |
| After Election: | Aki Shirasaka |
| After Party: | Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) |
In 2019 election, Kiyoshi Adachi, a independent recommended by four opposition parties, including the Former CDP, defeated Yōsuke Isozaki, a current member of the House of Councillors belonging to the Liberal Democratic Party, and was elected for the first time in Ōita at-large district.[1] Meanwhile, in the 2022 election, Shinya Adachi, a member of the opposition Democratic Party For the People and a current member of the Oita at-large district, lost to the ruling LDP candidate because of the division of the opposition camp.[2]
Adachi announced his candidacy for Ōita Prefecture gubernatorial election and resigned as a member of the House of Councillors on March 10, 2023.[3] With Adachi's resignation, by-elections will be held on April 28, 2023, under the Election Law.
The LDP has nominated Aki Shirasaka, the owner of Inaba, a club in Ginza, as its candidate.[4] On the other hand, main opposition party, the CDP, nominated Tadatomo Yoshida, a former leader of the Social Democratic Party who left the SDP and joined the CDP in 2020, as a candidate.[5]
After the assassination of Shuzo Abe, the LDP's collusion with the Unification Church was discovered, and the match drew national attention as it was a one-on-one battle between the ruling and opposition parties amid falling approval ratings of the Kishida administration.[6] [7] [8]
| Name | Age | Party | Past positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aki Shirasaka | 56 | Liberal Democratic | Owner of the Inaba, a club in Ginza | ||
| Tadatomo Yoshida | 67 | Constitutional Democratic | Leader of the Social Democratic Party Member of the House of Councillors | ||
Shirasaka was elected for the first time by beating Yoshida by only 341 votes.[9] [10] [11] [12]
| Aki Shirasaka | Tadatomo Yoshida | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Ōita city | 59,082 | 45.56% | 70,602 | 54.44% | |
| Beppu | 25,693 | 53.61% | 22,235 | 46.39% | |
| Nakatsu | 18,756 | 53.65% | 16,207 | 46.35% | |
| Hita | 15,560 | 53.25% | 13,662 | 46.75% | |
| Saiki | 12,273 | 55.66% | 9,778 | 44.34% | |
| Usuki | 5,798 | 42.79% | 7,753 | 57.21% | |
| Tsukumi | 4,065 | 51.68% | 3,801 | 48.32% | |
| Taketa | 5,488 | 64.24% | 3,055 | 35.76% | |
| Bungotakada | 4,067 | 51.77% | 3,789 | 48.23% | |
| Kitsuki | 4,669 | 48.54% | 4,949 | 51.46% | |
| Usa | 13,218 | 51.68% | 12,357 | 48.32% | |
| Bungo-Ōno | 6,279 | 50.29% | 6,207 | 49.71% | |
| Yufu | 5,187 | 47.11% | 5,823 | 52.89% | |
| Kunisaki | 4,876 | 49.45% | 4,985 | 50.55% | |
| Himeshima | 1,051 | 79.26% | 275 | 20.74% | |
| Hiji | 4,547 | 47.30% | 5,066 | 52.70% | |
| Kokonoe | 1,555 | 50.13% | 1,547 | 49.87% | |
| Kusu | 3,958 | 51.75% | 3,690 | 48.25% | |
| Total | 196,122 | 50.04% | 195,781 | 49.96% | |