Japan's 1955 election

In Tokyo, Premier Ichiro Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic Party, participates in Japan's national elections. His party supports U.S. cooperation while seeking to normalize relations with the Soviet Union and Communist China. With a high voter turnout, the election decides 467 House of Representatives seats. No party achieves a simple majority, but Hatoyama's Democrats, along with the Liberal Party, form a strong conservative bloc. The Democrats' 185 votes make them the dominant party, ensuring Hatoyama remains head of state.

What is Premier Ichiro Hatoyama's party's stance towards international relations?

• Isolation from global affairs

• Cooperation with the U.S. and normalizing relations with the Soviet Union and China

• Neutrality in international relations

• Complete alignment with the Soviet Union

How many eligible voters participated in Japan's national elections?

• One-quarter of the eligible voters

• Half of the eligible voters

• All eligible voters

• Three-quarters of the eligible voters

How many seats in the House of Representatives were contested in this election?

• 467 seats

• 300 seats

• 500 seats

• 400 seats

What was the outcome of the election in terms of party majority?

• The Democratic Party gained a simple majority

• One party gained a simple majority

• The Liberal Party gained a simple majority

• No party gained a simple majority

What is the significance of the alliance between the Democratic Party and the Liberal Party?

• It weakened the conservative alignment

• It established a strong conservative alignment

• It caused political instability

• It led to a liberal majority