Taipei: Japanese nationals living in Taiwan were able to cast early votes in Japan’s House of Councillors election at a polling station in Taipei on Saturday, marking the first time they have been able to participate in a Japanese election in person while in Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA) is facilitating early voting at its Taipei office-Japan’s de-facto embassy in Taiwan-and a branch office in Kaohsiung from July 4 to July 14. This initiative precedes the election scheduled to take place in Japan on July 20. Previously, Japanese nationals residing in Taiwan could only vote by applying for ballots in advance and sending them by mail to Japan, or by traveling back to Japan to vote in person.

Yo Takaba, a deputy Japanese representative to Taiwan, emphasized the significance of this development, stating that voting is a fundamental right for Japanese citizens overseas. He noted that establishing local polling stations is a crucial step in broadening access to democratic participation.

The JTEA highlighted that there had been longstanding requests to establish overseas polling stations in Taiwan, leading to the decision after consultations with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Currently, there are approximately 16,000 eligible Japanese voters living in Taiwan. To participate, eligible voters aged 18 and over must first register with the Japanese government to vote from abroad. Upon registration, they receive a voter card, which they must present along with a photo ID at a JTEA polling station in Taiwan to cast their vote.

Masayuki Yamamoto, a Japanese national who has lived in Taiwan for two years, expressed his satisfaction with the new voting process, having voted outside Japan for the first time. He found it more convenient than the traditional mail-in method and in-person voting in Japan, despite the additional paperwork required to prevent identity fraud.

Unlike Taiwan’s stamping method to indicate a vote, Japan employs handwritten ballots, where voters write the names of their preferred candidates and political parties. They then submit their ballots in sealed envelopes to polling staff.