Japan’s ruling LDP loses upper house majority amid voter frustration

Japan’s ruling coalition, led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has lost its majority in the country’s upper house following a crucial election held on Sunday, July 20, 2025.

Facing voter frustration over rising prices, a cost-of-living crisis, and the threat of US tariffs, the coalition failed to secure the 50 seats needed to retain control, ending up with just 47 in the 248-seat chamber.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose party already lost its majority in the more powerful lower house last year, has vowed not to quit, accepting the “harsh result” and shifting his focus to trade negotiations.

“Prime Minister Ishiba is considered not conservative enough by many supporters of the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,” said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies. “They think that he just doesn’t have the nationalistic views on history, he doesn’t have the strong views against China that Abe had.”

The defeat undermines the coalition’s influence, as the party that has governed Japan almost continuously since 1955 now holds a minority in both houses of the Diet.

 The main opposition, the Constitutional Democratic Party, came in second with 22 seats, while a significant number of conservative votes were siphoned off by the far-right Sanseito party.

Led by Sohei Kamiya, who some media outlets have compared to President Donald Trump, the Sanseito party won 14 seats, a major gain from the single seat it held previously.

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Known for its “Japanese First” policy and anti-immigration rhetoric, the party rose to prominence during the pandemic, peddling conspiracy theories on YouTube and gaining support with nativist rhetoric.

 This rise comes as an influx of foreign residents and tourists has fueled a sentiment among some that foreigners are driving up prices and taking advantage of the country.

In response, Ishiba’s government last week launched a task force to tackle “nuisance behaviors committed by some foreign nationals

The loss of the majority, which analysts had predicted could lead to a change in leadership, now opens the field for potential challengers to Ishiba.

Notable LDP members, including Sanae Takaichi, Takayuki Kobayashi, and Shinjiro Koizumi, may now seek to unseat the prime minister.

A change in leadership at this pivotal moment would almost certainly destabilize Japan’s government and its ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.