The Hiroshima High Court ruled Thursday that the disparity in the weight of votes in July's House of Councilors election was "in a state of unconstitutionality," a nuanced term in Japanese that stops short of calling it unconstitutional.
The court also dismissed the plaintiffs' demand that the electoral results in two constituencies — Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures — be nullified.
While determining "a severe gap was found in the weight of votes," presiding Judge Motoki Udagawa said: "It takes time to reform the electoral system as it requires high-level political decisions. It is not unconstitutional, even if the government did not take corrective measures."