The first oral argument hearing in the “Lawsuit to Protect the Right to Vote from Abroad! Challenging Japan’s Overseas Voting System” will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 27, in Courtroom 705 of the Tokyo District Court.

The case was brought against the government by four Japanese voters living abroad, who argue that their inability to vote by mail in time for the 2026 general election—held on the shortest schedule between dissolution and election day in post-war history—violated the Constitution.

The four plaintiffs, who live in Germany, France, Australia, and Canada, were unable to cast their votes in time for the House of Representatives election held on February 8, 2026, even though they had begun the necessary procedures for postal voting before the House was dissolved.

At this hearing, Terao, a plaintiff living in France, will appear in court to deliver a statement about their own experience, their reasons for bringing the lawsuit, and what they seek from the judiciary. Attorney Yoshitaka Toda, who leads the legal team, will also present the substance of the complaint.

The court proceedings are now beginning in this case seeking a system that ensures everyone can reliably cast their vote without undue burden, wherever they live. Please join us in the courtroom and show your support for the plaintiffs who have spoken out from across the world.

Lawsuit to Protect the Right to Vote from Abroad! Challenging Japan’s Overseas Voting System: First Oral Argument Hearing

◼️Date and time: Friday, November 27, 2026, 10:30–11:00 a.m. (scheduled)

◼️Location: Tokyo District Court, Courtroom 705

◎After the hearing, the plaintiffs and legal team also plan to hold a briefing at a venue near the courthouse. Please join us.

About the “Lawsuit to Protect the Right to Vote from Abroad! Challenging Japan’s Overseas Voting System”

Japanese voters abroad have two main ways to cast a ballot: at diplomatic missions or by mail. But in the February 2026 general election—held on the shortest schedule in post-war history—the plaintiffs’ ballots failed to arrive by election day, even though they initiated the necessary procedures before the Diet was dissolved. Others have faced the same problem, while some gave up voting altogether. A system that lets everyone vote without undue burden, wherever they live, is essential to democracy. Together with the plaintiffs, we are calling for a system that protects every individual’s vote.