JAPAN: Big Two

Vote counting after the Japanese general election, last week, revealed at first glance only a disheartening deadlock between the two chief parties. Upon closer inspection a healthy trend was observed, away from the multiple bloc system which has been the curse of Japanese politics, and toward a two-party line up.

After the election of 1924 there were three principal parties, holding respectively 160 and 114 and 109 seats out of a House of 464. Thus onetime Prime Minister Reijiro Wakatsuki was obliged to carry on with a coalition in which his party was but little larger than its chief supporting bloc.

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