Japan’s shaky government loses upper house control | Reuters
TOKYO, July 21 – Japan’s political scene just got shakier. In Sunday’s election, the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba lost its majority in the upper house of parliament. This marks another major blow for Ishiba, who also lost control of the more powerful lower house back in October.
Despite the setback, Ishiba says he’s not stepping down. He insists he needs to stay in charge, especially with a key deadline approaching—by August 1, Japan must sort out a tense tariff issue with the United States.
While this upper house vote won’t directly remove Ishiba from power, it weakens his position and gives opposition parties more leverage. These rival parties gained support by promising tax cuts, which appealed to voters worried about rising living costs.
Interestingly, a fringe anti-immigration party also saw gains, hinting at shifting public sentiment and growing dissatisfaction with traditional politics.
What’s Next?
All eyes are now on how Ishiba’s government handles U.S. trade talks and whether the political pressure forces further changes within the ruling party.
#JapanPolitics #Ishiba #UpperHouseElection #TaxCuts #USTariffs