Polls opened Sunday in Japan’s general election, posing a significant test for new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as he seeks voter support for his scandal-hit party just weeks after assuming the role.
Ishiba, the former defense minister, called a snap election immediately after winning the leadership contest of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a conservative political machine that has ruled Japan almost continuously since its founding in 1955.
By calling an election, Ishiba, 67, is seeking a public mandate for the ruling LDP amid falling approval ratings and public anger over one of the country’s largest political scandals in decades.
The funding scandal involved millions of dollars in undocumented political funds, with lawmakers allegedly lining their own pockets through kickbacks or failing to declare their income properly.
Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attempted to mitigate the crisis by replacing several cabinet ministers and dissolving LDP factions. However, he faced calls to resign and announced in August that he would not run for a second term.
His successor, Ishiba, also faces public discontent over rising living costs, exacerbated by a weak yen, a sluggish economy, and high inflation.
The political veteran has pledged financial assistance to low-income households and aims to raise the minimum wage while also focusing on regional revitalization. He has committed to a “full exit” from Japan’s high inflation rates, promising to achieve “growth in real wages.”
Ishiba has prioritized strengthening Japan’s relations with the United States and seeks to deepen ties with allies amidst increasing security challenges in Asia, particularly from an assertive China and a belligerent North Korea.
Partnership with Japan has long been central to US strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. Ishiba’s predecessor, Kishida, expanded Japan’s defense cooperation with the key ally this year. Ishiba has called for a more balanced relationship, suggesting greater oversight of US military bases in Japan.
As defense minister, Ishiba was strong on deterrence as a security issue, even proposing an Asian version of the NATO security bloc, although he appears to have dropped that idea after it was rebuffed by the US.
In a political culture that prizes conformity, Ishiba has often been an outlier, willing to criticize and go against his party. This openness has earned him powerful enemies within the LDP, yet it has also made him popular among grassroots members and the general public.
He aligns with the more progressive wing of the conservative party, and his political experience likely helped him secure the top job.
Voters on Sunday will choose representatives for the 465-seat House of Representatives, Japan’s lower parliamentary chamber.
Parties are competing to secure a majority of 233 seats, though there are various significant strategic outcomes possible.
An “absolute stable majority” of 261 seats ensures that the winning party or coalition has chair positions in all standing committees, facilitating smoother governance and policy-making.
Winning 244 seats would mean the party has an equal number of committee members compared to the opposition.
To propose constitutional amendments, a two-thirds majority of 310 seats is required.
Ishiba’s LDP and the New Komeito Party have agreed to form a coalition again, and prior to the dissolution of parliament ahead of Sunday’s election, the two parties held a 279-seat majority.