Language
Country/Area
No result found
The changing landscape of Japanese politics: How did Shigeru Ishiba stand out among nine candidates?
On October 27, 2024, Japan will hold a national election due to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's early dissolution of the House of Representatives. The election was held a month after Ishiba Shigeru took office, and the challenge for the new prime minister was particularly fierce. In particular, China has been politically turbulent in the past few years, especially after Kishida Fumio resigned due to a corruption scandal. The election results triggered It has attracted extensive public attention and discussion.
Voter support for the ruling party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, continued to decline, ultimately resulting in the ruling coalition losing its parliamentary majority in the lower house that it had held for the first time since 2009.
It is no accident that Shigeru Ishiba stands out. Prior to this, the Fumio Kishida cabinet was severely criticized for its ties to the Unification Church, and its public support rate continued to decline, eventually falling to 23%. The erstwhile ruling coalition lost its seat in the House of Representatives at the hands of the opposition, making the upcoming election a turning point of uncertainty and change.
Background
Kishida resigns due to scandal and loss of public support
Since the last election in 2021, Kishida has experienced a series of political crises, starting with the assassination of Shinzo Abe in 2022, which then raised deep questions about the Unification Church and its relationship with the LDP. In response to these pressures, the Kishida government carried out two cabinet reshuffles in 2022 and 2023, but these measures failed to win back public support.
Finally, Kishida announced his resignation as party president in August 2024, paving the way for new leadership.
Ishiba's early election call
After winning the fierce nine-way competition in the LDP presidential election on September 27, 2024, Shigeru Ishiba announced an early federal election on October 30. His decisions were based on the need to seek the trust of the people and transform the image of the government. The election attracted a large number of candidates, many of whom were women, showing that a change in representation is brewing in the political arena.
Election system and reform
Japan's House of Representatives has 465 seats, and the election is held in parallel voting. Members are elected in 289 single-member districts based on the first-place system, while 176 are elected through proportional representation. This electoral system allows candidates to make up for lost districts through proportional representation seats.
The number of female candidates in this election reached 314, a record high, and the proportion also increased from 5.7% to 23.4%.
The final preparations and struggles before the election
As election day approaches, criticism of the ruling party is growing louder. Ishiba Shigeru needs to not only win support within the LDP, but also effectively counter strong challenges from other opposition parties. With the release of various polls, Ishiba Shigeru's government seems to be under tremendous pressure, with public satisfaction with its governance dropping sharply and even calls for regime change rising.
74% of voters said they took the profit scandal into consideration when voting, showing the issue's huge impact on the election outcome.
Election Results and Future Outlook
Finally, the election results were announced, and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito coalition lost their parliamentary majority for the first time since 2009. Although the Liberal Democratic Party is still the largest party, it failed to reach the required majority of 233 seats, with only Won 215 seats. Ishiba said he accepted voters' "harsh judgment" and pledged to work to become "a party more in line with the people's will."
The results of this election have sparked discussions about the future political landscape of Japan. Will there be the possibility of new regime cooperation and policy adjustments?
