Upper House Poll: Election Carries The Same Significance As Choosing A Government

Editorial

16:30 JST, July 20, 2025

As uncertain information is spreading easily and there are groups that make extreme assertions, making the wrong choice could lead to political and economic turmoil.

Voters must decide carefully for themselves which party or candidate they can trust and cast their precious ballots.

Sunday is the day of the House of Councillors election. The focus is on whether the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition party Komeito will win 50 or more seats to maintain their majority in the upper house, together with the coalition’s upper house members who are not up for election this time.

However, they are in a difficult position. If the LDP and Komeito become the minority ruling parties in the upper house like in the House of Representatives, running the government will be even more difficult for them. Also, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will likely be held responsible.

An upper house election is generally viewed as a midterm evaluation of an administration, but this election has taken on the significant aspect of being about a choice of government.

The main issue in campaigning for the election was measures to combat the prolonged rise in prices.

The ruling parties called for a provision of ¥20,000 per person, with an additional ¥20,000 for children and adults in households exempt from the resident tax.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japan Innovation Party proposed reducing the consumption tax rate to zero for food items for a limited period, while the Japanese Communist Party and the Democratic Party for the People called for uniformly lowering the rate to 5%.

Many people must have grown weary of the ruling and opposition parties competing with each other over handout policies aimed at winning votes during elections, whether they are advocating a cash provision or tax cuts.

However, if opposition parties become stronger, consumption tax cuts could become more likely. Debates over tax and fiscal reforms would likely shake up the political landscape.

Long-term interest rates are already on an upward trend. This is said to be due to concern about worsening fiscal conditions, which have led the market to question the government’s ability to repay long-term government bonds.

The consumption tax is an indispensable source of revenue for social security. A reduction in the consumption tax rate would also have a significant impact on the economy.

While social media — platforms on which anyone can freely express their opinions — has increased voter interest in elections, there is also concern about its negative impact on election trends.

Some users spread short video clips without verifying the accuracy of the clips solely with the aim of earning advertising fees. It is also said that a large amount of misinformation is being disseminated from overseas. It appears that the intent is to influence public opinion in Japan.

Voters need to be cautious about information on social media.

In recent upper house elections, only about half of eligible voters exercised their right to vote. The voter turnout three years ago was 52.05%, the fourth lowest on record.

Voting is the greatest opportunity for political participation. This time, in particular, it will be a crucial choice.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 20, 2025)