In 1994 Japan's electoral system was reformed and a new system, combining 300 single-seat districts and 200 seats under a proportional representation system, was introduced. The new system has been designed to facilitate the election of the candidate receiving the majority number of votes in most districts. The single-seat system is a first-past-the-post system. While the single-seat system places value on political integrity, stability and efficiency, the proportional representation system is supposed to reflect the public's overall will.
By their very nature, these contrasting systems create disparities in the voting results from each system. Accordingly, not only might it be unreasonable to describe election results as manifestations of the public will, but the legitimacy of the election itself is called into question.
