In a significant legal challenge, a group of lawyers has filed a lawsuit on November 9th requesting that all elections in Japan's 289 electoral districts be declared invalid due to violation of the constitutional principle of equal vote value. The lawsuit draws attention to the disparities in the number of voters across districts, with the 3rd district of Hokkaido, which has approximately 462,900 voters, showing a vote value that is 2.09 times greater than that of Tottori’s 1st district, which has only about 220,800 voters. This increase in disparity from the previous elections highlights ongoing concerns about democratic representation in Japan.

The lawyers argue that the current electoral system fails to reflect the will of the citizens accurately since not all members of the National Diet represent the same population size. They urged the courts to deeply consider the principles of democracy and individual equality, asserting that when lawmakers are not equally representing the populace, the laws they create do not reflect the nation's true wishes. They made these statements during a press conference following the filing of their lawsuit.

Furthermore, another group of lawyers, led by Hidetoshi Masunaga, has reinforced the argument that the disparity in vote value is not only prevalent in urban areas but also exists in rural districts, challenging the idea that such disparities have any justification. According to Japan's Public Offices Election Law, lawsuits to contest the validity of elections can be filed in high courts, and it is anticipated that the Supreme Court will provide a unified ruling on the matter after various regional judgments are made.