Institutional Acceptance of Overseas Constituencies in a Non-Adopting Democracy: The Case of Japan

Despite the widespread expansion of external voting, overseas constituency systems (OCS) providing dedicated parliamentary representation to citizens abroad remain comparatively rare. Existing research has largely examined their adoption, design, and operation, while less attention has been paid to how such representation is evaluated in democracies that permit external voting but lack these specific districts. This study investigates the institutional acceptance of overseas constituencies in Japan using a qualitatively led, exploratory mixed-methods design. To assess this acceptance through perceived necessity and perceived feasibility, questionnaire data were collected from residents in Japan, Japanese citizens abroad, and a small reference group of National Diet members. Qualitative responses were granted interpretive priority, with quantitative ratings used as supplementary evidence. Descriptively, perceived necessity exceeded feasibility across all groups, with no statistically significant differences detected between domestic and overseas respondents. However, qualitative findings revealed divergent reasoning: overseas responses tended to emphasize political inclusion, voice, and access, whereas domestic responses tended to raise institutional compatibility, territorial responsibility, and representative legitimacy. Overall, support was often conditional on institutional design, fairness, participation, and implementation. The findings characterize these attitudes as conditional institutional acceptance, showing how dedicated representation can be normatively meaningful while remaining institutionally contested.