Tochigi 1st district


Tochigi 1st District is a district of the Japanese House of Representatives located within Tochigi Prefecture. The district was created as part of the 1994 Japanese electoral reforms, replacing the multi-member districts with single-member districts and introducing proportional representation blocks.

Area

Current district

As of 22 December 2024, The areas included in this district are as follows:
  • Parts of Utsunomiya
  • * Headquarters jurisdiction
  • * The villages of Hiraishi, Kiyohara, Yokokawa, Mizuhono, Shiroyama, Kunimoto, Tomiya, Toyosato, Shinoi and Sugatagawa.
  • * The town of Suzumenomiya
  • * The neighbourhoods of Takagi and Yonan
  • Kawachi District

    Areas from 2013 to 2022

From the first redistricting in 2013 until the second redistricting in 2022, the areas covered by this district were as follows:
  • Parts of Utsunomiya
  • * Headquarters jurisdiction
  • * The villages of Hiraishi, Kiyohara, Yokokawa, Mizuhono, Shiroyama, Kunimoto, Tomiya, Toyosato, Shinoi, and Sugatagawa
  • * The town of Suzumenomiya
  • * The neighbourhoods of Takagi and Yonan
  • Shimotsuke
  • Kawachi District

    Areas from before 2013

From the founding of the district in 1994 to the first redistricting in 2013, the areas covered by this district were as follows:
  • Utsunomiya
  • Kawachi

    History

This district is an urban one centered around Tochigi's prefectural capital of Utsunomiya, formed from parts of the older multi-member 1st District following the 1994 electoral reforms. The district is known as a Conservative Kingdom, with 3 generations of the Funada family, who have always served as president of the local Sakushin Gakuin University, having been elected either in this district or in the previous larger district.
There have been only 2 times where a member of the Funada party has lost the election. The first occurred in the year 2000, when incumbent candidate Hajime Funada lost to Democratic Party newcomer Hiroko Mizushima by about 16,000 votes. Funada was able to retake the seat in 2003 and hold it again in 2005, thanks in part to the popularity of Junichiro Koizumi's government. However, in 2009 he lost again, this time to newcomer Hisashi Ishimori of the Democratic Party.
Ishimori would not be able to hold this seat in the next election however, suffering a crushing defeat to Funada after losing 90,000 votes over the previous election. Following this election, Funada has won every election and is still the incumbent.

Elected representatives

Election results

- indicates an incumbent representative of the district
- indicates an incumbent of the Northern Kanto proportional district
- indicates a candidate was elected to the Northern Kanto proportional district

2024

2021

2017

2014

2012

2009

2005

2003

2000

1996