
LDP members are discontent with Ishiba's pledge to stay in office
The LDP and its coalition partner Komeito lost their majority in the house, securing just 47 of the seats up for grabs. That was below the 50 they needed to maintain a majority.
It's the first time in the LDP's 70-year history for it to lead a coalition that does not control either house.
Ishiba said at a news conference on Monday that the LDP must fulfill its responsibility as the leading party in the Upper House by preventing a drag on national politics.
He also said his side will try to achieve a consensus with opposition parties on a per-policy basis.
The prime minister is facing mounting pressure from inside his own party. Upper House lawmaker Aoyama Shigeharu called for Ishiba to resign, saying it's impossible to leave the job of negotiating tariffs with the US to a lame-duck government. One of the party's prefectural chapters decided that it would demand Ishiba step down as party leader.
Meanwhile, Former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki said he wants Ishiba to take responsibility as head of the party. But he warned that party members should refrain from pulling each other down. He said everything hinges on whether the LDP will be able to work toward rebuilding itself.
LDP executives plan to convene a meeting of its member lawmakers from both chambers of the Diet next week. They want to gain support for Ishiba staying in office by citing the ongoing tariff negotiations with the US.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Nikkei Asia
4 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Trump may travel to China to meet Xi in 'not-too-distant future'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he may visit China soon for a landmark trip at a time of simmering trade and security tensions. "President Xi has invited me to China, and we'll probably be doing that in the not-too-distant future," Trump told reporters in the White House's Oval Office. "A little bit out, but not too distant. And I've been invited by a lot of people, and we'll make those decisions pretty soon." Reuters has reported that Trump and Xi's aides have discussed a potential meeting between the leaders during a trip by the U.S. president to Asia later this year, citing two people familiar with the plans. While plans for a meeting have not been finalized, discussions on both sides of the Pacific have included a possible Trump stopover around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea or talks on the sidelines of the October 30-November 1 event, the people said. Another possible trip would be for a September 3 Beijing ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to attend. The White House and the Chinese government had declined to comment on that earlier Reuters report. Trump made the comment about meeting Xi during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a key Pacific ally who Trump said he had successfully moved away from China, even as he said it was fine for the two countries to have relations. Trump has sought to lower tensions with Beijing in recent weeks after pausing a tit-for-tat tariff war that has upended global trade and supply chains. Trump has sought to impose tariffs on virtually all foreign goods, which he says will stimulate domestic manufacturing and which critics say will make many consumer goods more expensive for Americans. He has called for a universal base tariff rate of 10% on goods imported from all countries, with higher rates for imports from some, including China. Imports from China have the highest tariff rate of 55%. Trump has set a deadline of August 12 for the U.S. and China to reach a durable tariff agreement. Other points of friction between the countries include China's support for Russia, trade in fentanyl-related chemicals, regional security worries, and exit bans on some American residents.


Nikkei Asia
4 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Clock ticks on Japan PM's time in office as Aug. 1 tariff deadline nears
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba aims to continue presiding over negotiations on U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. (Photo provided by Japan's Cabinet Office) RIEKO MIKI TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed stay in office to avoid a power vacuum amid tariff negotiations with the U.S., but regardless of how the talks go, he may face calls to resign from within his party after Aug. 1, when the duties are set to take effect. Despite his Liberal Democratic Party losing its majority with coalition partner Komeito in Sunday's upper house election, Ishiba quickly expressed his intention to stay on, saying that the important thing is not to let the government "come to a standstill."


Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Japan Times
Kepco to build Japan's first new nuclear reactor since Fukushima meltdown
Kansai Electric Power Co. (Kepco) will begin the process of building a next-generation reactor at its Mihama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, the first new reactor in Japan since the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. 'From today onward, we will be proceeding with offering explanations to local residents and others in preparation for the geological survey,' Kepco President Nozomu Mori said at a news conference on Tuesday. 'In our resource-poor country, it is important for nuclear power to continue to play a role in the future' from the standpoint of safety, energy security, economic efficiency and the environment, he said. Kepco began a feasibility assessment for a new reactor at the end of 2010, but it was suspended in the aftermath of the meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima plant following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. The company will conduct geological surveys on the grounds of its Mihama plant to assess the feasibility of building a new reactor under new safety guidelines that were implemented following the 2011 earthquake. If the ground is deemed to be acceptable, the company will submit an application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority to begin construction. At the Mihara plant, the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors are set to be decommissioned, with only the No. 3 reactor currently in operation. Next year, however, the No. 3 unit is set to reach its 50th year since the start of its operation; the number of years set for usage is generally 40. Kepco's plan for a new reactor comes after the government adopted the Seventh Strategic Energy Plan in February, which — contrary to the post-Fukushima accident stance to reduce the nation's dependence on nuclear energy — declared policies to maximize the use of nuclear power. The energy policy also outlined plans on developing next-generation reactors that are said to be safer than traditional ones. During the news conference, Mori said that especially given the growth of data centers and the semiconductor industry, the country's power needs would only continue to grow. Mori said his lesson from the Fukushima accident was to 'prioritize safety over all else' in the operation of the reactors. 'I understand that there are those who are cautious about nuclear energy ... but we will continue to work to improve the safety of nuclear power,' he said. 'This means not only complying with regulations, but also continuing to improve safety on a voluntary basis, and accumulating the results of safe operation one day at a time.'