Japanese PM hangs on after 'extremely regrettable' election
TOKYO
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a press conference at the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Tokyo on July 21, 2025, the day after the prime minister's coalition lost its upper house majority. (Photo by Philip FONG / POOL / AFP)
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba clung Monday even after his coalition suffered what he called an "extremely regrettable" election result.
In July 20's election Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost continuously since 1955, and its partner Komeito fell a projected three seats short of retaining a majority in the upper house.
Voters angry at inflation turned to other parties, notably the "Japanese first" Sanseito, which made strong gains with its "anti-globalist" drive echoing the agenda of populist parties elsewhere.
Ishiba's coalition was months ago forced into a minority government in the more powerful lower house, in the LDP's worst result in 15 years.
But asked late on July 20 if he intended to remain in office, Ishiba told local media: "That's right."
"Changes in the external environment, such as the international situation, or natural disasters, cannot wait for the political situation to improve," Ishiba told a news conference Monday.
The election saw 125 seats in the 248-seat upper house contested.
The coalition needed 50 of those but local media reported they only won 47, with the LDP winning 39 and Komeito eight, giving them 122 deputies.
Second-placed was the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), which won 22 contested seats, followed by the Democratic Party For the People (DPP) with 17.
The right-wing Sanseito party won 14 seats.
Sanseito wants "stricter rules and limits" on immigration, opposes "radical" gender policies, and wants a rethink on decarbonization and vaccines.
The opposition is fragmented, and chances are slim that the parties can form an alternative government, Hidehiro Yamamoto, politics and sociology professor at the University of Tsukuba, told AFP.
