In the aftermath of Sunday’s general election, the Democratic Party for the People, a small party that only had seven seats prior to the Lower House's dissolution on Oct. 9, is leveraging its newly acquired influence in negotiations for a new parliamentary majority.
Mostly known for its ties with private-sector unions before the election, the DPP quadrupled its seats to 28 and secured over 6.17 million votes under the proportional representation block, doubling its previous score and outplaying more established parties such as Komeito and the Japanese Communist Party (JCP).
The DPP election gains can be traced to two different factors: its youth-oriented policies and skillful use of social media platforms.
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