
Japan Election: Severe blow to PM Shigeru Ishiba as ruling coalition loses upper house majority — what we know so far
It will mark the first time in the LDP's 70-year history that it leads a coalition that does not control either house, Japan's NHK media reported. Despite this, PM Ishiba indicated he intends to stay on in his role.
Here's all you need to know about Japan Elections:
As many as 248 members of the Upper House are elected for six-year terms. Elections are held every three years, with half of the seats up for grabs.
This time, there are 124 seats plus one extra to fill a vacancy, Japanese media NHK reported. It said 75 seats will be decided based on electoral districts. The remaining 50 seats will be filled by people elected through proportional representation from across Japan.
The ruling coalition needs a total of 125 seats for a majority. They already have 75 uncontested seats, but NHK projections suggest it may be difficult for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito to get the additional 50 needed.
The cards are stacked against PM Ishiba, with all major opposition parties ruling out joining the Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komeito in an expanded coalition.
According to reports, Ishiba's LDP and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party finished second with 22 seats.
If the ruling bloc fails to get a majority, it would be the first time in the LDP's 70-year history for the party to lead a coalition that does not control either house of the Diet.
The fringe far-right Sanseito party emerged as one of the biggest winners in Japan's upper house election on Sunday. It, however, won't join coalition for now.
The party won 14 seats, up from one seat, giving it a significant presence in the upper house. It has only three seats in the more powerful lower house.
"Sanseito has become the talk of the town, and particularly here in America, because of the whole populist and anti-foreign sentiment. It's more of a weakness of the LDP and Ishiba than anything else," said Joshua Walker, head of the U.S. non-profit Japan Society.
Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition Sanseito party, Kamiya Sohei, said in an interview that he doesn't plan to join the ruling coalition at this point. He expressed concern that Sanseito's tiny size renders it liable to be crushed if it becomes part of the ruling bloc.
The party broke into mainstream politics with its "Japanese First" campaign. It gained support with warnings of a "silent invasion" of immigrants, and pledges for tax cuts and welfare spending.
It was born on YouTube in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, Reuters reported.
While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba's minority government falls, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader, who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October.
That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October's lower house election, a vote which has left Ishiba's administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change.
The result further weakens Ishiba's position just days before the country needs to negotiate a deal with the Trump administration to avert the imposition of punishing tariffs in its largest export market.
If Ishiba goes, it was unclear who might step up as the LDP's 11th premier since 2000 now that the government needs opposition support in both chambers.
'Ishiba may be replaced by someone else, but it's not clear who will be the successor,' Hidehiro Yamamoto, politics and sociology professor at the University of Tsukuba, told Agence France-Presse.
Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he "solemnly" accepted the "harsh result".
"We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States...we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realizing our national interests," he later told TV Tokyo.
His statement came as Japan, the world's fourth largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the US or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market.
Asked whether he intended to stay on as prime minister and party leader, he said: 'That's right. It's a difficult situation, and we have to take it very humbly and seriously.'
(With inputs from agencies)

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


Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Foreign policy expert delivers lecture at IIT-ISM
Dhanbad: Acclaimed expert in conservative political thought, economics, and foreign Policy, Suvrokamal Dutta, addressed newly admitted students of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad on Sunday as part of the institute's orientation programme. His talk, titled "India's Foreign Policy and the Rise of the Indian Economy ", highlighted India's growing stature as a global economic and strategic power. In his address, Dutta, who was also a member of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt's policy team, emphasized India's emergence as a dominant force in the Indo-Pacific and its assertive diplomacy. Referring to Operation Sindoor, he underlined India's military strength and global recognition, including appreciation from the United States. "India is poised to lead the global economy by 2040 and pointed to China's relative decline post Covid-19," he said, urging students to take pride in India's civilizational roots. Sukumar Mishra, director, IIT (ISM), welcomed and felicitated Dutta.
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
US, EU trade talks begin in Scotland as von der Leyen seeks deal with Trump
US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen convened in Scotland on Sunday in a bid to resolve a prolonged transatlantic trade row. read more US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met in Scotland on Sunday to push forward high-stakes trade negotiations with both sides under pressure to avert a transatlantic tariff clash before an August 1 deadline. The talks come after weeks of intense back-and-forth between Washington and Brussels as the EU seeks to strike a deal that would shield key sectors, particularly automobiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial goods from sweeping new US tariffs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump has threatened to impose fresh 30% tariffs on EU goods if an agreement is not reached by Friday, on top of existing levies including 25% on cars and parts and 50% on steel and aluminium. He has maintained that the EU has treated the US unfairly and warned that without a deal, punitive measures would go ahead. Despite the rising stakes, Trump said the chances of a deal were '50-50', while calling von der Leyen a 'highly respected woman' and expressing hope that the meeting would be productive. Speaking from his Turnberry resort on Friday, he said that there were '20 sticking points' in the negotiations but declined to elaborate. The EU, the United States' largest trading partner, exported €532 billion ($603 billion) worth of goods to the US in 2024, with pharmaceuticals, auto components, and chemicals among the biggest categories. The two sides exchanged a total of €1.6 trillion ($1.8 trillion) in goods and services last year, underscoring the magnitude of what's at stake. In preparation for Sunday's talks, EU negotiators consulted with Japanese officials, whose recent deal with Washington secured a baseline tariff of 15%. Trump has been aiming for similar trade shakeups globally, having already clinched agreements with the UK, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, though his administration has fallen short of delivering on its '90 deals in 90 days' pledge. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With the clock ticking, both Trump and von der Leyen are hoping Sunday's discussions in Scotland will pave the way for an agreement that could reshape one of the world's most important trade relationships and stave off another economic confrontation.


Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Chirag's remarks on crimes show his weakness; he has no concerns for Bihar, alleges Tejashwi
A day after Union Minister Chirag Paswan slammed the Nitish Kumar government over the law and order situation in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday claimed that the Hajipur MP's comment showed his "weakness" as a ruling NDA partner, and alleged that he has "no real concerns" for the state. Yadav was reacting to the remarks of Chirag, the chief of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which drew a sharp reaction from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD (U), exposing cracks in the NDA ahead of the assembly polls. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Data Analytics Degree MCA others Finance Project Management MBA Healthcare Data Science Leadership Others Product Management Cybersecurity Technology Management Design Thinking Artificial Intelligence healthcare Digital Marketing Operations Management CXO Public Policy PGDM Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details The leader of the opposition seemed unimpressed with Chirag's decision to contest the Bihar assembly elections due later this year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Japanese AI invention allows you to speak 68 languages instantly. The idea? Genius. Enence 2.0 Undo "Chiarg Paswan has merely demonstrated his weakness as a minister and as a coalition partner. His comments show he loves only his chair and has no real concerns for Bihar," Yadav alleged. Paswan had on Saturday said, "Law and order have completely collapsed in the state. The police have surrendered to criminals in Bihar. I regret having to support a government which is unable to prevent such crimes. The situation of Bihar has, indeed, become scary." Live Events Yadav also alleged that there is "no law and order" in the state. Asked about the incident of alleged gang-rape of a woman inside an ambulance in Gayaji, Yadav said, "It's shocking and shameful. Just imagine the law and order situation in the state." "More than 100 murders took place in the last one week in the state. They (NDA) call it a double-engine government. One engine is crime, and another is corruption. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up the Bihar government for failing to submit utilisation certificates (UCs) worth over Rs 70,877 crore. There is a scam of more than Rs 70,000 crore," the RJD leader alleged. The CAG report on state finances for 2023-24 was tabled in the state assembly on Thursday. "Despite the requirement of submitting UCs within stipulated time period, 49,649 outstanding UCs of Rs 70,877.61 crore were not received by the Accountant General (Accounts & Entitlements), Bihar, as on March 31, 2024", the report had said. The high pendency of UCs is "fraught with the risk of embezzlement, misappropriation and diversion of funds", it added. Union minister and founder of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday slammed Paswan for his outbursts over the alleged increase in crimes in Bihar. "He (Chirag) is a new entrant in politics. He has not seen the days of jungle raj in the state before 2005. If he is not aware of the situation during the RJD rule, he should not make such comments. Now, the law and order situation is undoubtedly much better. Bihar is rapidly developing under the NDA rule", he told reporters in Gayaji.