|Japan Table of Contents The Japanese political system has three
types of elections: general elections to the House of
Representatives held every four years (unless the lower house is
dissolved earlier), elections to the House of Councillors held
every three years to choose one-half of its members, and local
elections held every four years for offices in prefectures,
cities, and villages. Elections are supervised by election
committees at each administrative level under the general
direction of the Central Election Administration Committee. The
minimum voting age for persons of both sexes is twenty years;
voters must satisfy a three-month residency requirement before
being allowed to cast a ballot. For those seeking office, there
are two sets of age requirements: twenty-five years of age for
admission to the House of Representatives and most local
offices, and thirty years of age for admission to the House of
Councillors and the prefectural governorship. In the general
election of February 18, 1990, the thirt