Tokyo: Japan’s ruling coalition, led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has suffered its worst parliamentary outcome in over a decade, losing its majority.
Together with its smaller partner, Komeito, the LDP secured 215 seats, short of the 233 needed for a governing majority.
The election, called by newly appointed LDP leader Shigeru Ishiba just days into his term, now casts doubt over his political future.
In a speech Ishiba said that the LDP had received “severe judgement.” adding they would “humbly” accept this.
Ishiba said that, “Voters have handed us a harsh verdict and we have to humbly accept this result. The Japanese people expressed their strong desire for the LDP to do some reflection and become a party that acts in line with the people’s will.”
Before the election, Japanese media speculated that Shigeru Ishiba might step down if the LDP lost its parliamentary majority, potentially marking him as Japan’s shortest-serving post-war Prime Minister.
This marks the first time since 2009 that the LDP has lost control of parliament—a rare setback for a party that has governed Japan nearly unbroken since 1955.
The outcome follows years of turmoil within the LDP, including a series of scandals, voter apathy, and historically low approval ratings, which fell below 20% earlier this year amid a political fundraising scandal.
The largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), secured 148 seats but remains challenged by a lack of unity and voter confidence in its ability to govern.
Before parliament dissolved, the CDP’s approval rating stood at just 6.6%. CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda expressed intentions to collaborate with other parties to unseat the incumbents.
Following the election, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose by about 1.5%, while the yen declined against the U.S. dollar.
For all the apathy, politics in Japan has been moving at a fast pace in recent months.
Ishiba took over as prime minister after being voted in by the LDP following his predecessor Fumio Kishida – who had been in the role since 2021 – making a surprise decision to step down in August.
The move to call the election came at a time when the LDP is desperate to restore its tarnished image among the public. Ishiba – a long-time politician who previously served as defence minister – has described it as the “people’s verdict.”
The political funding scandal, implicating dozens of LDP lawmakers in multimillion-dollar embezzlement, unravelled powerful party factions and shook the foundation of its internal politics.
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