Japanese Legislators Gather for Five-Day Emergency Parliamentary Assembly
Japan's Upper House Shifts After Election
Japan's parliament, the Diet, convened for a five-day extraordinary session on Friday, marking a significant change in the House of Councillors. Following the July 20, 2025 election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Kōmeitō no longer hold a majority in the chamber.
Yusuke Nakanishi, a member of the LDP, was chosen as head of the Budget Committee in the Upper House during the meeting. Tetsuro Fukuyama, a former secretary-general of the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, was elected as the vice president of the Upper House.
The up-and-coming party, Sanseito, obtained the post of committee chair in the Upper House for the first time. Manabu Matsuda from Sanseito was elected as the chair of the Upper House Discipline Committee.
Despite the shift, Masakazu Sekiguchi from the LDP was re-elected as the president of the Upper House, and Takao Makino from the LDP retained the post of chief of the Rules and Administration Committee in the Upper House. This means that the two key standing committees, Rules and Administration, and Budget, will continue to be chaired by LDP lawmakers.
The election result reflects a diminished position for the ruling coalition in the upper chamber. The House of Councillors now has 248 members total, with half renewing every three years through elections by prefectural districts and proportional representation. The losses for LDP and Komeito reflect a rise in opposition and right-leaning parties, signifying a more volatile political environment.
In the July 20 election, the LDP won just 39 seats, a result close to their historical low and 13 seats fewer than before the election. Kōmeitō lost 6 seats, winning only 8 this time. Combined with the 75 seats from the non-contested half that the coalition already held, the ruling LDP-Kōmeitō coalition fell short of their target to maintain a majority in the chamber, winning a combined total of 47 seats against the target of 50, causing them to lose their majority in the House of Councillors as well as having lost it earlier in the House of Representatives in 2024.
[1] Source: Article about the election results [2] Source: Article about the House of Councillors [3] Source: Article about the election process
[1] The victory in the election has sparked a shift in policy-and-legislation and politics in the House of Councillors, as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) no longer holds a majority.
[2] As a result of the July 20, 2025 election, the general-news coverage has been filled with discussions about the raise in opposition and right-leaning parties, as the LDP saw a significant decrease in seats, leading to a more volatile political environment.
