Japan Press Weekly

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2026 October 21 - 27 TOP3 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Youth participation in campaigning constitutional right

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The Tokyo District Court on September 25 ruled that a blanket ban on voluntary election campaigning by minors constitutes a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution. The court ruling pointed out that election campaigning is guaranteed under the Constitution as a form of “freedom of expression”. It stated that even minors who do not have the legal right to vote are guaranteed that freedom and thus have the freedom to engage in campaigning.

The Public Offices Election Act uniformly prohibits people under 18 from conducting “election campaigning” during an election period with the aim of securing the election of a specific candidate. Violations are punishable by up to one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to 300,000 yen. Furthermore, the offender is stripped of their right to vote for a period of five years from the date the judgment becomes final.

The ban on election campaigning has hindered minors from developing an interest in politics and enhancing their sense of civil responsibility as citizens. It is highly significant that young people themselves took legal action in pursuit of freedom in election campaigning and won the court judgement that recognizes the existing ban as unconstitutional.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) acknowledges the “right to freely express one’s own views”. Engaging in election campaigning constitutes political expression and should, of course, be guaranteed as a right of child.

Young people who fought in court call for lifting the ban so that they can participate in electioneering in the next election. However, despite the court judgement in support of the plaintiffs, unless the election law is amended, young people will continue to not be allowed to participate in campaigning and their “freedom of expression” will remain unfulfilled. In light of the ruling, politicians should take action that meets young people’s demands.

The Japanese Communist Party, since its founding in 1922, has been calling for universal suffrage for all men and women aged 18 and over.