8 ▁years ▁when ▁the ▁largest ▁opposition ▁party , ▁the ▁SD P J , ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁pass ▁even ▁the ▁one - third ▁mark . ▁K ome ito , ▁D SP , ▁US DP ▁and ▁J CP ▁maintained ▁their ▁positions . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁the ▁big ▁los er ▁was ▁the ▁SD P J ▁which ▁lost ▁almost ▁half ▁of ▁its ▁seats , ▁while ▁the ▁big ▁winner ▁was ▁the ▁J NP . ▁With ▁ 1 3 4 ▁members ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁house , ▁the ▁social ists ▁ended ▁up ▁with ▁just ▁ 7 0 ▁seats , ▁an ▁all - time ▁low ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁since ▁it ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁un ified ▁party ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁The ▁vot ers ▁who ▁previously ▁had ▁cast ▁their ▁votes ▁for ▁the ▁social ists ▁in ▁protest ▁against ▁the ▁L DP ▁now ▁had ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁three ▁" con serv ative " ▁parties ▁other ▁than ▁the ▁L DP . ▁ ▁The ▁election ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁a ▁considerable ▁degree ▁of ▁continu ity , ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁basically ▁conserv ative ▁nature ▁of ▁Japanese ▁society , ▁the ▁end urance ▁of ▁personal ▁f ief dom s , ▁the ▁strength ening ▁of ▁conserv ative ▁and ▁cent rist ▁forces ▁and ▁a ▁corresponding ▁weak ening ▁of ▁the ▁left ist ▁parties . ▁The ▁current ▁political ▁change ▁was ▁not ▁so ▁much ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁opposition ' s ▁strength ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁of ▁the ▁L DP ' s ▁weak ness es ▁and ▁internal ▁diss ension ▁and ▁the ▁leader ' s ▁in