Japan votes in election seen as key test for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba

In an upper house election, voters in Japan will be able to determine Shigeru Ishiba’s and his ruling coalition’s support.

Polling stations nationwide opened at 7am on Sunday (22:00 GMT, Saturday) and will remain open until 8pm (11:00 GMT) in the majority of locations, according to Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK.

Many voters are concerned about the rising cost of living, especially for rice, with population decline and foreign policy also on the agenda, according to NHK.

In an election in which the majority of the seats are up for grabs, Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito may struggle to retake control of the 248-seat upper house of parliament.

Because the upper house lacks the authority to appoint a leader, a poor performance on Sunday would not immediately cause a change of government, but it would undoubtedly raise questions about Ishiba’s future and Japan’s political stability. Within the LDP, candidates for reelection or the creation of a new coalition partner would be contacted by Ishiba.

Additionally, polls indicate that smaller opposition parties may benefit from increased public spending and tax cuts. These parties include Sanseito, a right-wing organization that opposes foreign investment and promotes gender equality.

“I’m in graduate school, but I’m not around any Japanese people. They are all foreigners, according to Yu Nagai, a 25-year-old student who claimed to have voted for Sanseito.

Nagai told the Reuters news agency, “I think Japanese people are a little disrespected when I consider how compensation and money are spent on foreigners.”

In addition, other voters expressed concern about the rise in xenophobia.

The 43-year-old consultant Yuko Tsuji and her husband, who were standing outside a polling station in a Tokyo gymnasium, voted “for candidates who won’t fuel division” and said they supported the LDP for stability and unity.

The conservative base will “drift toward extremes” if the ruling party doesn’t act effectively. So I cast my vote hoping that the ruling party would take control of the situation, she told The Associated Press.

Daiichi Nasu, 57, a self-employed self-employed man, said he hopes to see a more diverse and inclusive society with more open immigration laws and gender laws, such as allowing married couples to maintain separate surnames. He cited the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan as the reason he voted for the CDPJ. On those fronts, I want to see progress.

According to NHK, more than 20 percent of registered voters, or roughly 21 million people, cast ballots earlier, a significant increase from the previous three years.

Ishiba, 68, a self-declared “geek” in the field of defense and a train enthusiast, attempted to become prime minister on his fifth occasion in September before calling late October elections.

The new prime minister’s ruling coalition, which had only 209 seats in the lower house of parliament from the 279 it had previously held, suffered a significant defeat in those polls.

Ishiba announced emergency economic measures in April to lessen any harm to Japanese export-related industries and households.

Before a new August 1 deadline touted by Washington, the nation is still desperately trying to get a reprieve from US President Donald Trump’s proposed 25 percent tariffs.

Japan’s center-right LDP, which has undergone frequent leadership transitions, has been in almost constant operation since 1955.

Since Shinzo Abe’s resignation in September 2020, he is the third prime minister to lead the nation.