Japan Kicks Off Voting for Pivotal Upper House Election
(MENAFN) Voting commenced Sunday morning for Japan’s pivotal upper house election, featuring a fiercely competitive race with 522 candidates vying for seats amid a sharp divide between ruling and opposition forces.
The House of Councillors consists of 248 members serving six-year terms, with elections staggered every three years to renew half the chamber. This election involves 125 seats, including one contested vacancy.
The ruling coalition—composed of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito—currently holds 75 seats not subject to this election. To maintain control of the upper house, the coalition must secure at least 50 seats out of the 125 being contested.
Although the threshold appears manageable given the coalition’s prior majority, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, facing plummeting approval ratings and multiple challenges such as inflation and burdensome U.S. tariffs, has cautioned, “not an easy undertaking.”
Following the October 2024 general election, the ruling bloc lost its majority in the more influential House of Representatives, compelling Ishiba to lead Japan’s first minority government in over 30 years.
Local media reported that if the ruling coalition loses its majority in the upper house this time, it will become extremely difficult for Ishiba to maintain control of his administration.
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