1936 Japanese general election

General elections were held in Japan on 20 February 1936.^[1] Rikken Minseitō emerged as the largest party in the House of Representatives, winning 205 of the 466 seats and securing a slim majority with parties in support of the government. Following the elections, an attempted coup took place on 26 February.

Formed in 1934, the Okada administration faced a fierce opposition from Rikken Seiyūkai, the largest bloc in the House of Representatives at the time, and had to rely on a minority coalition composed of Rikken Minseitō and a group of Seiyūkai dissidents led by Tokonami Takejirō (the group then became Shōwakai). The administration sought to obtain a majority with its coalition partners in this election. Though the goal was fulfilled, the administration collapsed almost immediately in the aftermath of the February 26 Incident. Elder Saionji Kinmochi then called diplomat Hirota Kōki to form a new cabinet with endorsement from both Minseitō and Seiyūkai, after the initial invitation to Konoe Fumimaro was declined.

The 466 members of the House of Representatives were elected from multi-member constituencies with between three and five seats.^[2]