Japan Election: Komeito Leader Hints at Resignation; Major Losses in Stronghold Osaka, Ishii 1st Chief Not Elected in 15 Years

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:33 JST, October 28, 2024

“I would like to consult carefully within the party, including on the establishment of a new structure to rebuild our party,” said Keiichi Ishii, chief representative of Komeito, following Sunday’s House of Representatives election defeat, at a press conference held at the party headquarters on Monday morning.

Ishii himself failed to win in Saitama Constituency No. 14, citing as the cause strong voter criticism of the politics and money scandals concerning their coalition partner, the Liberal Democratic Party.

Komeito had fielded 11 candidates, including Ishii, in the single-seat constituency elections, but only four were elected. In Osaka Prefecture, which boasts a strong base and is known as the “ever-victorious Kansai,” Komeito was defeated in all of its constituencies.

Within the party, there is widespread unrest as Ishii had just assumed the chief representative position in September, and this marks the first time in 15 years a chief representative of Komeito has not been elected to the House of Representatives, with the last case being in 2009.

Komeito now faces the urgent task of rebuilding party strength ahead of next year’s Tokyo metropolitan assembly and upper house elections, both of which the party places great importance on.

Former chief representative Natsuo Yamaguchi spoke to reporters in Tokyo early Monday, saying, “We have no choice but to rebuild the party structure.”