Overview

• The LDP-Komeito coalition fell below the 50 seats needed for a majority in the House of Councillors as the Democratic Party for the People surged to 17 seats
• Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to continue in office despite intensifying pressure from within his party to step down
• Mid-career and younger lawmakers from the former Motegi faction launched a signature campaign to convene an extraordinary joint session of LDP legislators for a formal leadership debate
• Prefectural federations such as Shizuoka have initiated member surveys on Ishiba’s tenure, and a Yomiuri poll found 14 of 47 branches want him to resign
• Opposition leaders Yuichiro Tamaki and Yoshihiko Noda have indicated they will expedite talks on inter-party cooperation once Ishiba sets a clear resignation timeline