Tokyo [Japan], July 21: Japan’s ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito, is set to lose its majority in the House of Councillors following Sunday’s election, according to Kyodo News. The defeat marks a major political setback for PM Ishiba, who has pledged to remain in office despite increasing internal and external pressure.
The election results mean the ruling coalition no longer holds control in either house of Japan’s parliament — an uncommon and precarious position for a post-war Japanese government. Without a majority in both the House of Councillors (upper house) and the House of Representatives (lower house), the government will need to seek support from opposition parties to pass legislation and budgets.
The LDP-Komeito alliance fell short of winning the 50 seats needed out of the 125 contested to maintain their upper house majority. The coalition’s loss was compounded by the rise of Sanseito, a right-wing populist party that has gained traction with conservative voters. Sanseito, with a nationalistic agenda and a “Japanese First” stance, surpassed the 10-seat threshold in the upper house — a milestone that grants it the ability to introduce legislation.
Critics have accused Sanseito of pushing xenophobic rhetoric, but their surge underscores public dissatisfaction with the current government’s performance, particularly regarding rising inflation, slow wage growth, and stalled tariff negotiations with the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“This outcome must be taken humbly,” PM Ishiba admitted during a television appearance, emphasizing that the LDP would continue to act responsibly as the ruling party. LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama also weighed in, warning that the country cannot afford a political vacuum during these turbulent times.
With opposition parties unwilling to form a new coalition with the LDP-Komeito bloc, the loss places PM Ishiba’s leadership and policy agenda under serious scrutiny.