1945-12-17 - 1946-04-10

Women’s suffrage and Japan’s first postwar election

Tokyo and Japan nationwide1945-12 to 1946-04 · after election-law reform, women vote in a general election and 39 women are elected

Other events in this phase

Occupation Reforms in Japan22
  1. Women's suffrage reform in Japan
  2. Education democratization directives
  3. State Shinto Directive
  4. Women’s suffrage and Japan’s first postwar electionCurrent record
  5. MacArthur Notes
  6. GHQ Draft presented to the Japanese government
  7. First Japanese general election with women voters
See all 22

Institutional start of democratization

The election combined women’s suffrage, public-office purges, and party realignment, making occupation reform socially visible.

Media

SourceSourceNational Diet Library · First postwar general election exhibitNational Diet Library exhibit record on suffrage reform and the April 1946 election.

Source Trail

ArchiveNational Diet Library · First postwar general electionOpen source