Ishiba’s LDP Coalition Loses Majority in Japan’s Upper House Election: Smaller Parties Make Gains in Fragmented Landscape
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There were 125 seats at stake in Japan’s 2025 House of Councillors election on July 20, amounting to just over half of the total of 248. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru’s coalition of his Liberal Democratic Party and junior partner Kōmeitō fell short of the 50-seat target required for it to maintain a majority in the upper house, with the LDP winning 39 seats and Kōmeitō 8.
Having lost its majority in the House of Representatives last autumn, the coalition now has no majority in either house, despite remaining the nominal government. This is the first time for the LDP to be in such a situation since the party was founded in 1955. Ishiba indicated his intention to continue as leader, citing the heavy responsibility of being the leading party, but will face increased obstacles in any political action.
The rise of the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseitō was a leading factor in the loss of the coalition majority. The DPFP previously had 4 seats among those contested, but won 17. Meanwhile, Sanseitō, which previously had just 1 of the contested seats, secured 14 with a populist “Japan First” campaign, and now has enough lawmakers to propose legislation. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, meanwhile, was unable to improve its standing, finishing with 22 seats, or the same total as before the election.
2025 House of Councillors Election Results
| Total seats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ruling coalition | Liberal Democratic Party | 39 |
| Kōmeitō | 8 | |
| Opposition parties | Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan | 22 |
| Nippon Ishin no Kai | 7 | |
| Democratic Party for the People | 17 | |
| Japanese Communist Party | 3 | |
| Reiwa Shinsengumi | 3 | |
| Sanseitō | 14 | |
| Conservative Party of Japan | 2 | |
| Social Democratic Party | 1 | |
| Team Mirai | 1 | |
| Independents | 8 | |
| Total | 125 |
Note: Total includes one vacant Tokyo seat not officially up for election this year.
Voter turnout was 58.51%, increasing by more than 6 percentage points from the 52.05% in 2022. A record total of 26.2 million people voted early, which is equivalent to 25.12% of all registered voters, and is the highest ever for elections in both houses.
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru exits after talking to reporters while House of Councillors results are announced at LDP headquarters in Tokyo in the early hours of July 21, 2025. © Kyōdō.)