Overview

• The LDP-Komeito coalition fell below the 125-seat threshold in the 248-member upper house, forcing the government to cobble together new alliances for key legislation.
• Sanseito boosted its presence from one seat to 14, becoming the fourth-largest party and gaining potential veto power over parliamentary decisions.
• The far-right party’s ‘Japanese First’ platform calls for foreigner loyalty checks, suspension of social services to non-Japanese residents and strict limits on immigration.
• Shigeru Ishiba established a Cabinet Office for Harmonious Coexistence to shape integration policies and calm public concerns about foreign residents.
• Deepening economic woes—rising living costs, a drop in global GDP ranking and acute labor shortages—have eroded mainstream support and driven voters toward populist alternatives.