Japan ruling bloc projected to lose majority in Upper House election defeat
The election — which comes just nine months after Ishiba took office — was seen as a rebuke of the prime minister and the LDP, which has now been dealt drubbings in two national elections under his leadership following October's loss of its majority in a Lower House poll.
A variety of scenarios now await the country, from an enlarged ruling coalition to an opposition-led chamber, or even a minority leadership in both chambers. Pressure is likely to rise for Ishiba to resign, although it was too early to tell if that would be the case.
The outcome of the Upper House election on Sunday will greatly impact Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration. |
Bloomberg
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
4 minutes ago
Ishiba May Come Under Pressure to Step Down
News from Japan Politics Jul 21, 2025 01:09 (JST) Tokyo, July 20 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may come under pressure to step down if his ruling coalition falls far short of his goal in Sunday's election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament. Ishiba declared his intention to stay in office even as the ruling bloc is struggling to maintain its Upper House majority in the election. "We must be aware of our responsibility to fulfill for the nation and our responsibility as a comparative first party. I will take charge of it," he said on television Sunday night. But the political landscape is becoming increasingly uncertain as moves to find a successor to Ishiba are already underway behind the scene within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The ruling coalition had to maintain its Upper House majority after it failed to secure a majority in the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber, in last year's election, an LDP official said. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan's PM Ishiba vows to carry on despite big loss in upper house poll
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to media at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo on July 20. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita) SHOTARO TANI TOKYO -- Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to stay on as the country's leader, even as his ruling coalition looked set to suffer a significant loss of seats in Sunday's upper house election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito are poised to end up with far fewer seats than the 141 they held in the chamber, even after including the 75 seats that were not up for re-election.
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Ex-Olympic champ Daichi Suzuki set to win Japan upper house seat for 1st time
TOKYO -- Former Olympic gold medalist Daichi Suzuki, a newcomer from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is set to secure his first election victory in the Tokyo constituency of the House of Councillors, which had six seats up for grabs and one vacancy. Suzuki leveraged his high profile as a gold medalist in the men's 100-meter backstroke at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and as the inaugural chief of the Japan Sports Agency to achieve a strong standing in the election. The 58-year-old campaigned on the vision of creating a society where people can live a healthy life through sports. During stump speeches, he stated, "Sports changed my life. Now I want to change society through politics." He also pledged to focus on initiatives such as increasing wages to combat rising prices and enhancing economic support for families with children. Amid predictions of a tough battle for the LDP overall, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, who worked together with Suzuki during preparations for the Tokyo Olympics while he was sports agency chief, lent Suzuki her support, emphasizing that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government would cooperate with him. One of the LDP's two seats in the Tokyo electoral district contested this time became vacant last year, due to a member switching to run in the House of Representatives election. The party's Tokyo chapter sought a candidate who would not conflict with incumbent Keizo Takemi, 73, who was running an organized campaign. While other people were considered, Suzuki, expected to attract swing voters, was nominated in late May.
