In the February 8 House of Representatives election, the Liberal Democratic Party recorded a decisive victory across Fukuoka and Saga prefectures, winning 10 of Fukuoka’s 11 single-member districts and sweeping both districts in Saga. In Fukuoka, several incumbents retained their seats, including Takahiro Inoue in District 1 and Makoto Oniki in District 2, both of whom benefited from visible support linked to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration. Atsushi Koga and Hideki Miyauchi each won sixth terms in Districts 3 and 4, while Wataru Kurihara secured a second term in District 5. Jiro Hatoyama won his fifth consecutive victory in District 6, and Satoshi Fujimaru prevailed in the only head-to-head contest between the LDP and the centrist alliance in District 7. Veteran lawmaker Taro Aso was re-elected for a 16th term in District 8. District 9 was the sole exception, won by independent candidate Rintaro Ogata, though the LDP candidate later secured a proportional seat. In District 10, LDP newcomer Haruka Yoshimura won his first election after a close race. In District 11, former minister Ryota Takeda returned to parliament, defeating a Japan Innovation Party incumbent. In Saga, LDP incumbents Kazuchika Iwata and Yasushi Furukawa both retained their seats, while veteran opposition lawmaker Kazuhiro Haraguchi lost his single-member district seat.
Voter participation in Fukuoka showed a modest recovery alongside these results. Turnout across the prefecture’s 11 single-member districts reached 54.41 percent, according to the prefectural election management commission, an increase of 2.82 points from the previous election held two years earlier. Turnout had peaked at 68.77 percent in 2009 before entering a prolonged decline, falling below 50 percent for the first time in 2014 and hitting a record low of 48.81 percent. Participation later recovered to the low 50 percent range, including 51.59 percent in the last election, making this year’s figure the highest in four elections.
The outcome in Fukuoka and Saga reflected a broader regional trend. Across Kyushu and Okinawa, the LDP increased its representation by eight seats, winning 29 of 34 single-member districts. In Okinawa, the party captured all four districts, marking its first clean sweep there since the current electoral system was introduced in 1996, as opposition forces lost ground following internal divisions. In Fukuoka, the LDP also prevailed in all three districts contested against the Japan Innovation Party, reinforcing the ruling party’s strengthened position throughout the region. Source: KBC / NHK / NIKKEI
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