Japan Opposition Party Reiwa Shinsengumi Suffers Steep Loss; Drops to Just 1 Seat in House of Representatives

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, February 10, 2026

Reiwa Shinsengumi was down to just one seat in the House of Representatives after Sunday’s election, falling from the eight it held before the official campaign period.

Reiwa fielded 31 candidates —18 for single-seat constituencies and 13 for the proportional representation contest. Seeking to win as many seats as possible, the party had taken a confrontational stance toward the administration of Sanae Takaichi, who is also president of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Reiwa’s leader, the widely known Taro Yamamoto, resigned from the House of Councillors due to a medical condition just before the official campaign kicked off. As a result, coleaders Mari Kushibuchi and Akiko Oishi traveled nationwide in support of candidates.

The party stressed during its campaign that it has consistently advocated abolishing the consumption tax since its founding.

Yamamoto also took to the streets for last-minute stump speeches in the final stretch of the campaign, as media polls showed Reiwa struggling. However, the party failed to gain momentum.