Voting Vocabulary in Japanese 選挙用語 Election & Political Words

Election Day -- a time when people of all persuasions come together with warm and fuzzy feelings. Well, maybe not in reality, but here at TheJapanesePage.com, we are nothing but warm and fuzzy. 

Instead of acting like dogs and monkeys 犬猿の仲 (see our lesson page here), how about learning a few voting, election, and political terms in the Japanese language? This page covers some important vocabulary with sound files for the examples. 

Let's start with:

選挙用語(せんきょようご)

senkyo yougo
Election Words

Voting Japanese

Candidates

立候補(りっこうほ)する

rikkouho suru
to become a candidate

当選(とうせん)する

tousen suru
to be elected

落選(らくせん)する

rakusen suru
to lose an election

当選確実(とうせんかくじつ)　

tousen kakujitsu
projected to win [short: 当確(とうかく) toukaku]

政策(せいさく)　

seisaku
political policy

公約(こうやく)　

kouyaku
campaign pledge

選挙運動(せんきょうんどう)　

senkyo undou 
campaigning; electioneering

遊説(ゆうぜい)

yuuzei
election tour; stumping

選挙演説(せんきょえんぜつ)

senkyo enzetsu
election speech

賄賂(わいろ)

wairo
bribe

汚職(おしょく)

oshoku
political corruption

Political Parties

共和党(きょうわとう)

kyouwa tou
Republican Party

民主党(みんしゅとう)

minshu tou
Democratic Party

自由民主党(じゆうみんしゅとう) （自民党(じみんとう)）

jiyuu minshu tou (shortened to jimintou)
LDP; Liberal Democratic Party [ruling party in Japan]

公明党(こうめいとう)

koumei tou
Komeito Party [Center-right party]

立憲民主党(りっけんみんしゅとう)

rikken minshutou
Constitutional Democratic Party [Center-left party]

Political Offices

大統領(だいとうりょう)

daitouryou
president

副大統領(ふくだいとうりょう)

fuku daitouryou
vice-president

総理大臣(そうりだいじん)

souri daijin
prime minister

)

官房長官(かんぼうちょうかん)

kanbou choukan
Chief Cabinet Secretary

閣僚(かくりょう)

kakuryou
cabinet member; cabinet minister

)

国会議員(こっかいぎいん)

kokkai giin
Diet member; member of Diet

衆議院(しゅうぎいん)

shuu giin
House of Representatives

参議院(さんぎいん)

san giin
Upper House; House of Councilors

衆議院議員(しゅうぎいんぎいん)

shuu giin giin
member of the Lower House

参議院議員(さんぎいんぎいん)

san giin giin
member of the House of Councilors

Departments

財務省(ざいむしょう)

zaimushou
Ministry of Finance

財務大臣(ざいむだいじん)

zaimu daijin
Minister of Finance; Finance minister

防衛省(ぼうえいしょう)

boueishou
Ministry of Defense

防衛大臣(ぼうえいだいじん)

bouei daijin
Minister of Defense

経済産業省(けいざいさんぎょうしょう)

keizaisangyoushou
 Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry （Short: 経産省(けいさんしょう)）

経済産業大臣(けいざいさんぎょうだいじん)

keizai sangyou daijin
Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry

厚生労働省(こうせいろうどうしょう)（厚労省(こうろうしょう)）

kousei roudou shou (short: kouroushou)
Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare

厚生労働大臣(こうせいろうどうだいじん)

kousei roudou daijin
Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare

Prefecture-Level Offices

都知事(とちじ) 

to chiji
governor of Tokyo

県知事(けんちじ)　

ken chiji
prefectural governor

市長(しちょう)

shichou
mayor

町長(ちょうちょう)

chouchou
town mayor