Japan votes in an important election, because Prime Minister Ishiba is confronted with a possible loss

TOKYO – Japanese voted for seats in the smaller of the two parliamentary houses of Japan on Sunday in an important election with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling coalition that was confronted with a possible defeat that could worsen the political instability of the country.

The voters decided half of the 248 seats in the upper country, the less powerful of the two rooms in the Japanese diet. Early results were expected on Sunday evening.

Ishiba has low the bar and wants a simple majority of 125 seats, which means that his liberal democratic party and its Buddhist supported Junior Coalition partner Komeito have to win to add 50 to add to the 75 seats they already have.

That is a large retreat of the 141 seats they had before the elections, but media surveys predict great setbacks for Ishiba.

A poor performance on Sunday would not immediately cause a change from the government because the Hogerhuis lacks power not to compromise against a leader, but it would certainly deepen the uncertainty about his destiny and the political stability of Japan. Ishiba would be confronted with calls from the LDP party to resign or find another coalition partner.

Rising prices, lagging income and difficult social security payments are the most important problems for frustrated, cash with cash. Stricter measures aimed at foreign residents and visitors have also emerged as an important problem, with an increasing right -wing populist party leading the campaign.

Sunday’s vote comes after the coalition of Ishiba has lost a majority in the elections of the Lower House in October, stabbed by earlier corruption scandals, and his unpopular government has since been forced to make concessions to the opposition to get legislation through parliament. It has not been able to quickly give effective measures to reduce rising prices, including the traditional staple of Japanese rice and the decreasing wages.

US President Donald Trump has added the pressure, complained about a lack of progress in trade negotiations and the lack of sale of American cars and American grown rice to Japan, despite a shortage of domestic stocks of the grain. A rate of 25% as a result of operation 1 August has been a new blow to Ishiba.

A voter issues a mood at the Upper House elections at a polling station Sunday 20 July 2025 in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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Ishiba has resisted itself before the elections, but the prospect for a breakthrough after the elections is just as unclear because the minority government would have difficulty forming a consensus with the opposition.

Frustrated voters quickly turn to emerging populist parties. However, the eight most important opposition groups are too broken to forge a common platform as a united front and to get voter support as a feasible alternative.

The emerging populist party Sanseito distinguishes itself with the heaviest anti-benefit with its “Japanese first” platform that proposes a new agency to centralize policy with regard to foreigners. The populist platform of the party also includes anti-vaccine, anti-globalism and is in favor of traditional gender roles.

Conservative for central opposition groups, including the most important opposition consional Democratic Party of Japan, or CDPJ, the DPP and Sanseito have won a considerable ground at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

The distribution of Xenophobe rhetoric in the election campaign and on social media has activated protests by human rights activists and alarmed foreign residents.

The LDP has almost continuously dominated the post -war policy of Japan, which contributes to its political stability and social conformity.

Voters are divided between stability and change, with some voice concerned about escalating xenophobia.

Yuko Tsuji, a 43-year-old consultant, who came to a polling station with her husband in a gymnasium in the center of Tokyo, said they both support the LDP for stability and unit and voted for candidates who will not feed a division “.

“If the ruling party does not rule properly, the conservative basis will stray to extremes. So I voted for the hope that the ruling party would purchase things,” she said.

Independent Daiichi Nasu, 57, who came to vote with his dog, said he hopes for a change in the direction of a more inclusive and diverse society, with more open immigration and gender policy, such as allowing married couples to retain individual last names. “That’s why I voted for the CDPJ,” he said. “I want to see progress on those fronts.”