Japan’s politics gets a rare dose of upheaval after snap election
Japanese elections are typically predictable and uneventful—but this snap election was anything but.
The dramatic vote was sparked by a political funding corruption scandal that surfaced last year, implicating senior lawmakers and cabinet members from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The scandal tarnished the LDP’s reputation and sparked public outrage.
It was a perfect storm: dozens of LDP lawmakers were investigated for pocketing millions from political fundraisers, while households struggled with inflation, high prices, stagnant wages, and a sluggish economy.
In response, a frustrated electorate made a powerful statement in Sunday’s vote, dealing the LDP a significant blow. Despite having governed Japan almost continuously since 1955, the party lost its single-party majority in the influential lower house.
However, no clear winner emerged either. A fragmented opposition fell short of presenting a viable alternative for a public eager for change.
Though weakened, the LDP still secured 191 seats, outpacing the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), which ended with 148 seats.
“This election seems to reflect voters’ frustration with a party and politicians they view as corrupt. But it’s not one where they’re ready to embrace a new leader,” said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies.
And yet the old leadership’s fate is unclear. The LDP’s governing coalition has fallen short of the halfway mark – 233 seats in the 465-member Diet – after its ally Komeito lost several seats, including that of its chief.
Even with Komeito’s 24 seats, the LDP will be unable to muster a majority.
It’s a “severe judgment”, said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who was sworn in as prime minister only early this month after winning a tight party leadership race.
Voters had “expressed their strong desire for the LDP to reflect and become a party that will act in line with the people’s will”, he said on Sunday, as results emerged.
