Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/119
Thus, in the revised law the system of large electoral districts combined with that of the single vote was adopted, and by this means it is hoped that the evils prevalent in France, Italy, and the United States may be avoided.
These combined systems were drafted by an Englishman of the name of Thomas Hair as the most perfect method whereby the opinion of a small number of electors might be represented in the Lower House.
The electoral districts coincide with the administrative districts of fu (the city) or ken (the prefecture), quite distinct the one from the other. Cities with a population exceeding 30,000 form a separate electoral district, while those with under 30,000 inhabitants form an electoral district together with the suburbs. Those cities which have increased in population to over 30,000 since the promulgation of the revised Law of Election are separated from their suburbs and form separate electoral districts. Provision for this was made in a Bill passed during the sixteenth session of the Imperial Diet. Every city forms now an independent electoral district.
The number of members allotted to each electoral district depends solely on its population. For a population of 130,000 one member is allowed, and for every additional 65,000 persons above 130,000 another member is allotted. For instance, one member can represent a district until its population reaches 194,999; when the population is between 195,000 and 324,999 it must have two members, between 325,000 and 454,999 three members, and so on. Important islands, the Hokkaido and the Okinawa ken, have each been made into an independent electoral district. This was rendered necessary because of their distance from the central island (Hon-shu), their customs, habits, and conditions.
The revised law holds good even in the Hokkaido and the Okinawa ken. The number of members allotted to them does not, however, depend on the general law, nor is the date on which the revised law comes into force there declared at the same time as the other districts. The three districts in the Hokkaido and the three cities in the island have the law promulgated for themselves. The date of promulgation for other territories is determined by Imperial ordinance.
This redistribution of seats gives the following result:
| Name of Electoral District. | Number of Districts. |
Number of Members. | |||||
| Fu or Ken (except Shi) | 45 | 296 | |||||
| Shi (cities) | 53 | 73 | |||||
| Islands | 4 | 4 | |||||
|
3 | 3 | |||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||
| The Okinawa | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 109 | 381 |
