News in Pictures / Upper House Election: Offer Harsh Lesson for Ruling Parties; Following Lower House and Tokyo Assembly Votes, String of Defeats for Ishiba's Bloc Continues
Continuing a pattern running through the House of Representatives election in October last year and the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June, Sunday's poll made it clear just how strong the headwinds are that face the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The Yomiuri ShimbunA Japanese Communist Party candidate gives a speech under a parasol to avoid the heat on Friday in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture.The Yomiuri ShimbunOn Saturday, the final day of campaigning, many voters gather for speeches by Sanseito members in Minato Ward, Tokyo.The Yomiuri ShimbunConstitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda, second from left, visits Aomori to hear the opinions of rice farmers on July 9 during election campaigning.
LDP's coalition partner Komeito also struggled, and the headquarters of both parties were filled with a sense of gloom.Ishiba, who also serves as LDP president, appeared at the vote counting center inside the LDP headquarters in Tokyo at around 9:50 p.m. on Sunday. There was a severe expression on his face. Ishiba began placing red flowers next to the names of candidates who were projected to win, but these remained sparse, and a depressed atmosphere pervaded the venue.Speaking to various TV programs from the venue, Ishiba reflected on the election campaign, saying, 'I have been calling for measures to combat high prices and substantial support for families with children, but I was unable to make myself understood.'
On Monday, the day after the polls closed, the elected members of the opposition parties, which had made significant gains, smiled as they told supporters about their aspirations and feelings of determination.
The Yomiuri ShimbunSayaka Kobayashi of the Democratic Party for the People reports that she is projected to win her race during a live broadcast on a YouTube channel on Sunday in Chiba.The Yomiuri ShimbunAyaka Shiomura of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who was reelected on Sunday, shakes hands with a supporter in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, on Monday.
Democratic Party for the People member Mayu Ushida, 40, a former NHK announcer, won her first election for a seat in the Tokyo constituency. At her office in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, on Monday, Ushida made phone calls to thank the volunteers who worked for the campaign. 'Thank you for your support,' Ushida said in a call.
'The level of anxiety felt by the working generation led to this result,' Ushida said of her win. 'I would like to start with policies to increase take-home pay, such as income tax cuts.'
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Yomiuri Shimbun
12 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ishiba Weighs Timing of Resignation Amid Revolt in LDP; Prime Minister Seeks to Minimize Political Disruption
With Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba having decided to resign, the focus has now shifted to when he will make it official. Ishiba plans to choose a moment that will minimize disruption to key political events — reaching a formal agreement in Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, an upcoming extraordinary Diet session, and the leadership race for the Liberal Democratic Party, of which Ishiba is president. But with the 'Down with Ishiba' movement showing no signs of easing, the window for the prime minister to decide on his own is steadily shrinking. Fears of being a lame duck 'The tariff talks concern the national interest. I'm counting on [economic revitalization minister Ryosei] Akazawa,' Ishiba confided to those around him on Tuesday night, the eve of the tariff deal. 'Once the tariff negotiations show prospects [of reaching a deal], I'll explain how I will take responsibility, but I can't publicly say 'I'm quitting' yet.' In the final days of the upper house election campaign, it became clear that the ruling bloc was struggling. Ishiba was prepared to resign if the ruling LDP–Komeito coalition failed to maintain a majority. Although they fell short of their target of 50 seats, winning 47, he judged the setback to be survivable and decided — for the moment — to stay on. Even so, Ishiba never intended to cling to power. On election day Sunday, he told close aides, 'It would be alright to lay out a roadmap and hand the post to the next person.' But he also worried that announcing his departure during talks with Washington would brand him a lame duck, weakening Japan's bargaining position. Timing hinges on political calendar Ishiba's plan was to assess the outcome of the Japan-U.S. talks, his most pressing issue, and then finalize the timing of his announcement. But because he shared this plan with only a very small circle, there was a backlash within the LDP, with many perceiving Ishiba's actions as an attempt to hold onto power indefinitely. On Tuesday, lawmakers demanding his resignation launched a petition drive calling for the party leadership election to be brought forward, making the 'Down with Ishiba' drive explicit. Even local LDP chapters — Ishiba's power base — joined the calls for him to go. Fearing that wobbly footing would sap Japan's bargaining power with the United States, Ishiba asked three former prime ministers — Fumio Kishida, Yoshihide Suga, and Taro Aso — to meet on Wednesday and help calm the waters. He planned to tell them he would clarify his future once certain results have been achieved, believing the former leaders would understand. After the talks he denied he would resign immediately, but one Cabinet member remarked, 'He just can't say it yet; this wasn't a pledge to stay.' Reading The Yomiuri Shimbun on Wednesday morning, which reported 'Decision on resignation [to be made] soon after seeing the progress of the tariff talks,' Ishiba murmured, 'A deal has been reached with the U.S., but my thinking [on resignation] hasn't changed. I hope this quiets the party.' After receiving news of the Japan-U.S. agreement from Akazawa, Ishiba told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office, 'With the negotiation outcome in hand, the question now is what decision I should make,' hinting at his own future. Yet Ishiba believed he had to delay any announcement until a formal, signed document was exchanged by the two governments. If a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump could be arranged, he hoped to postpone it even further. Because the ruling bloc is now a minority in both chambers, an early resignation could prompt the opposition to demand a prime-ministerial vote during the extraordinary Diet session slated to start Aug 1. Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Ishiba, who is considering a review of the war, also wishes to remain prime minister through Aug. 15. Party sentiment is far from sympathetic. On Wednesday, the LDP leadership moved up to July 28 a joint caucus to hear opinions from members regarding the upper house election results. A former minister who maintains distance from Ishiba warned, 'If he doesn't announce his resignation at the very start of that meeting, the 'Down with Ishiba' movement will finish him.'
3 hours ago
Ishiba Reiterates Determination to Stay On
News from Japan Politics Jul 24, 2025 22:05 (JST) Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday reiterated his intention to stay in office despite his ruling bloc's bruising defeat in Sunday's parliamentary election. "I want to continue to make every effort to ensure that this agreement is steadily implemented and to dispel concerns among domestic businesses," Ishiba told reporters, referring to the agreement reached in Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations. "It's important for I and the president to implement the agreement steadily," Ishiba said of U.S. President Donald Trump. Japan has as many as 4,318 items for export to the United States, the prime minister said. "I think (business operators) are very worried about what will happen to their export items." END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
5 hours ago
- Japan Times
‘Mr. Japan' bends the knee — and falls on his sword
"Mr. Japan' finally has his trade deal, after three months of talks. It looks like it will be his final act. After a third successive blow from the Japanese electorate, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba blinked in trade talks with the U.S. He spent months seeking a complete removal of the levies that U.S. President Donald Trump held over the country, including those already imposed on cars. "We will never accept tariffs, especially on autos,' Ishiba said in May, declaring the issue his red line. With vehicles long the main source of Trump's ire — perhaps understandably, given that they account for more than three-quarters of the trade deficit — getting the president to back down was always going to be a tough ask, especially considering Japan's lack of leverage. But after Sunday's hammering in the Upper House election, which has left the prime minister with a minority in both houses of parliament and arguably the worst electoral record of any Liberal Democratic Party leader in history, Ishiba has seemingly accepted his fate. That's why he agreed to the deal that will include 15% tariffs across the board, including on cars. With this last piece of business concluded, local media indicates that less than a year into his term, Ishiba will soon announce his resignation. (The prime minister has subsequently denied the reports, which were made by multiple independent outlets.) Trade envoy and close aide Ryosei Akazawa painted a positive picture. It was "mission completed' in the tariff talks, he cheerfully said in a post on X, pointing to a picture hung in the White House of Ishiba and Trump speaking at the Group of Seven meeting in Canada. He also denied any link between the agreement and the election results. Certainly markets were pleased, with automakers surging after being freed from months of uncertainty. Toyota Motor rose by the most in nearly 40 years; the Topix headed for an all-time high. And perhaps it's as good a deal as Japan could expect. As with all these agreements, the devil is in the details: It still puts a 15% levy across the board on imports. While that's less than the 25% "reciprocal' tariff that was threatened, and most importantly less than the 25% already imposed on auto imports in May, it'll still be damaging for exporters. There's an odd promise of $550 billion in investment in the U.S. and a more logical agreement for Japan to buy more U.S. rice. The part about Japan opening "to trade including cars and trucks' is confusing, given that there are no barriers currently in place. But perhaps Ishiba has done what he should have in the beginning and simply told Trump what he wants to hear — knowing it won't, indeed can't, be delivered. But the agreement also removes the last piece of leverage the prime minister had left — the "national crisis' he said must be prioritized ahead of infighting. That's been enough to keep the target off his back until now. But after Sunday's results, it's clear he can't be allowed to do any more harm. In just 10 months, his weak leadership has resulted in an unstable political landscape that threatens to damage Japan for years. Conservative voters have deserted the LDP in droves — and headed to some disturbingly populist places. The landscape is so fractured that there also isn't a viable opposition to take over, meaning the forecast is for parliamentary gridlock. That's why the LDP needs to win voters back. With the trade deal about to be done, Ishiba should leave as as soon as possible. Many conservatives are eyeing the anniversary of the end of World War II next month, fearing he will further alienate right-leaning voters by undoing the groundbreaking statement by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the 70th anniversary a decade ago. It's not Ishiba's fault that relations with the U.S. have been so tarnished. That blame lies with Trump. And by removing the uncertainty around tariffs, he will finally have done some good for the country. But he will leave Japan in a weaker position than when he took office — and in search of direction once again. Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas.
