Overview
- Exit polls project the LDP and Komeito will win only 41 to 43 of the 125 contested seats, below the 50 required to retain an upper house majority.
- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he accepts the “harsh result” and intends to stay in office to oversee critical tariff negotiations with the United States.
- Internal critics including University of Tokyo professor Yu Uchiyama warn of an LDP leadership challenge if the coalition cannot regain control.
- The far-right Sanseito party is expected to increase its representation to at least 10 seats on a “Japanese First” and anti-immigration platform.
- With both chambers now lacking LDP-Komeito majorities and an August 1 tariff deadline looming, prospects of legislative gridlock and economic uncertainty are rising.