In the recent House of Representatives election held on July 8, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) achieved its second-highest proportional vote total since the introduction of the mixed electoral system, while the centrist coalition fell short of its previous performance.
In the election for the House of Representatives held on July 8, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured approximately 21.02 million votes, equating to a 36.72% vote rate in the proportional representation category, marking the second highest figures since the mixed electoral system was instituted in 1996. This marks a notable increase of nearly 10 percentage points from the 26.73% they received in the previous election in 2024, but still fell short of their peak during Junichiro Koizumi's administration in 2005, when they garnered a 38.18% vote rate.
Conversely, the centrist coalition, which combined the Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito, received around 10.43 million votes at a rate of 18.23%, failing to reach the approximately 11.56 million votes attained by the Constitutional Democratic Party in the last election. This outcome represents a significant setback for centrist forces in Japan, highlighting the challenges faced by these parties in galvanizing voter support compared to the dominant LDP.
This election result, confirmed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the 13th, underscores a continuing trend of stability for the LDP in the Japanese political landscape amidst a fragmented opposition. As the LDP maintains a strong foothold, the implications for policy-making and governance will depend on how effectively the opposition can regroup and redefine its strategy to connect with the electorate in the future.
