As soon as the results were announced for last week's Upper House election, a group of lawyers filed lawsuits demanding the results be nullified because of wide disparities in the value of votes.
Other lawsuits filed in past elections also claimed this problem, but this time, the lawsuits covered all prefectural areas and should be considered seriously.
The lawsuits' intention has a strong basis in constitutional law. However, the solution is not as easy as it may seem. Upper House seats are supposed to be allocated on the basis of the population of each prefecture.