Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is at risk of losing its one-party majority after a close early election, opinion polls show.
Broadcaster NHK said the LDP was expected to win between 153 and 219 lower house seats. The Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) is expected to win between 128 and 191 seats.
One party needs 233 seats to control the House of Representatives, known as the National Assembly, meaning the LDP will need to join a coalition to maintain power.
The party has previously allied with the smaller Komeito party, although projections suggest their combined vote share may still fall short of a majority, causing uncertainty over how the economy will be run. fourth largest in the world.
The election was called by new LDP leader Shigeru Ishiba three days after he was chosen as the new leader – before he was officially sworn in as prime minister.
It comes after a tumultuous few years for the LDP, which saw a “cascade” of scandals, widespread voter apathy and record low approval ratings.
The party had an approval rating below 20% at the start of the year, following a political fundraising corruption scandal.
However, opposition parties have failed to unite or convince voters that they are a viable option to govern.
The main opposition party had an approval rating of just 6.6% before parliament was dissolved.
Miyuki Fujisaki, a long-time LDP supporter who works in the nursing home sector, told the BBC before the opening of the election: “It’s difficult to make a party decision, I think people are losing interest. ”.
The LDP has problems with corruption allegations, she said, “but the opposition is also not prominent at all”.
“They definitely complain a lot, but it’s not clear what they want to do,” the 66-year-old man said.
Despite all the apathy, politics in Japan have been evolving at a rapid pace in recent months.
Shigeru Ishiba took over as prime minister after being elected by the ruling party to replace his predecessor Fumio Kishida – who has held this position since 2021 – who made a surprise decision to resign in August.
The move to call elections comes at a time when the LDP is trying to restore its tarnished image among the public. Ishiba – a longtime politician who once served as defense minister – described it as “the people’s verdict”.
A series of scandals have tarnished the reputation of the ruling party. Chief among them is the party’s relationship with the controversial Unification Church – described by critics as a “cult” – and the extent of its influence over lawmakers.
Then came the revelations about the political sponsorship corruption scandal. Japanese prosecutors are investigating dozens of LDP lawmakers accused of pocketing proceeds from political fundraising events. Those charges — worth millions of dollars — led to the disintegration of powerful factions, the backbone of intraparty politics.
“What a bad state the ruling party is in,” said Michiko Hamada, who arrived at Urawa Station, outside Tokyo, to attend an opposition campaign rally.
“That’s what I feel the most. That is tax evasion and is inexcusable.”
This strikes her as particularly acute at a time when Japanese people are struggling with sky-high prices. Wages have been flat for three decades – dubbed the “lost 30 years” – but prices have risen at their fastest rate in nearly half a century over the past two years.
This month saw multiple price increases for thousands of food products as well as other daily necessities such as mail, pharmaceuticals, electricity and gas.
“I have to pay 10,000 yen or 20,000 yen ($65 – $130; £50 – £100) more for food every month (compared to before),” Ms. Hamada said.
“And I don’t buy the things I used to buy. I’m trying to save money but it still costs more. Things like fruit are very expensive.”
She’s not the only one concerned about high prices. Retiree Chie Shimizu said she now has to work part-time to make ends meet.
“Our hourly wages have increased a bit but not commensurate with the prices,” she told the BBC while picking up some food from a stall at Urawa station. “I go to places like this to find something cheaper and better because everything in the regular stores is expensive.”
