Tokyo (TDI): Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is holding firm in the face of growing political pressure, even after his ruling coalition suffered a significant blow in the latest upper house elections.
Describing the outcome as “extremely regrettable,” Ishiba acknowledged the setback but vowed to stay on.
Sunday’s vote dealt a harsh reality check to the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito. Together, the two parties failed to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber, falling three seats short of the required 50 from the 125 up for grabs.
Voters frustrated with rising prices and economic uncertainty shifted support to smaller, populist parties. One of the biggest winners was Sanseito, a nationalist-leaning group pushing a staunch anti-globalization stance and tighter immigration controls, echoing trends seen across Europe and the United States.
The upper house defeat comes on the heels of a bruising lower house result earlier this year, which left the coalition in the minority for the first time in over a decade.
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Still, when pressed by reporters late Sunday about whether he planned to resign, Ishiba gave a firm response: “That’s right, I will stay.”
Addressing the media Monday, Ishiba cited the challenges facing Japan from natural disasters to volatile geopolitics, as reasons for continuity in leadership.
“Political deadlock is not an option,” he said. “Despite the heavy responsibility we bear for this result, it is my duty to maintain stability and lead with the people’s voices in mind.”
The path ahead will be rocky. With no clear successor and a fractured opposition, Ishiba’s survival may depend on building consensus across the aisle.
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The election saw the LDP win 39 of the contested seats, with Komeito securing eight, bringing their combined total in the upper house to 122. The center-left Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) came in second with 22 seats, followed by the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) with 17. Sanseito made an unexpected leap with 14 seats.
Sanseito’s rise has sparked debate. The party promotes stricter immigration policies, questions current vaccine strategies, and calls for a review of Japan’s decarbonization goals. It recently had to deny links to Russian state media, following a controversial interview featuring one of its candidates.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
