Japan’s ruling coalition secured a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives following Sunday’s snap elections, according to projections from public broadcaster NHK.
The coalition, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its partner, the Japan Innovation Party, is projected to win at least 310 of the 465 seats contested in the lower house – the more powerful of Japan’s two parliamentary chambers – as of 11 p.m. local time Sunday, NHK reported.
Kyodo News agency also projected the governing coalition would secure more than 300 seats, though official results are not expected until Monday. NHK
The strong showing allows Takaichi to surpass the absolute majority of 233 seats she had targeted and provides the coalition with the ability to pass legislation even if it faces opposition in the upper house, where both parties are in the minority. The outcome signals continued stability for Japanese politics.
Takaichi Pledges Government Continuity
With projections indicating a decisive victory, Takaichi signaled her intention to maintain the current government structure.
“It has been just over three months since the Cabinet was formed,” she said in an interview with TV Tokyo. “The members of the Cabinet are people I have chosen with confidence and who are currently working very hard, so I have not considered changing them.”
The centrist Reformist Alliance, a newly formed union of the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Buddhist Komeito (formerly a coalition partner with the LDP before Takaichi’s election as leader), appears to be the biggest loser in the election.
The alliance is projected to win between 37 and 91 seats, a significant drop from the 172 they held prior to the election, according to NHK projections.
The populist Sanseito party, known for its strong anti-immigration stance, is projected to gain between 5 and 14 seats, up from the two it previously held in the House of Representatives. Sohei Kamiya, the party’s leader, told NHK they had “received a great boost,” but “could not extend the vote count as we had hoped” due to the LDP’s strong performance.
Heavy snowfall impacted the election day, forcing some polling stations to delay opening or close early, though advance voting numbers were higher than in previous elections.
