Politics & Government

CDPJ’s Noda Seeks to Deepen Ties within Opposition Camp

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, speaks at the party’s headquarters in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Sunday night.

Jiji Press

16:31 JST, July 22, 2025

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)—Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda indicated Tuesday that the main opposition party will seek to deepen ties within the opposition camp ahead of an extraordinary Diet session this autumn.

In the morning, Noda visited the Tokyo headquarters of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, to brief its president, Tomoko Yoshino, on the results of Sunday’s House of Councilors election.

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, separately met with Yoshino on the same day.

Noda reported that, although the ruling coalition lost its majority in the Upper House, the CDP struggled to gain seats, saying, “We need to strictly review the results.”

In contrast, Tamaki expressed his party’s readiness to play a greater role after significantly increasing its Upper House seats in the latest election.

“We will actively submit budget-related bills to increase people’s take-home income to realize the pledges we made in the election,” the DPFP chief said.

He also indicated that his party will accelerate preparations for the next House of Representatives election. In response, Yoshino called for continuing to cooperate closely.

The DPFP saw all of its four candidates backed by industrial unions under Rengo elected, while one of the CDP’s six such candidates lost.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, attended the first cabinet meeting since his party was defeated in the Upper House election.

“We received an extremely severe judgment, and we must take it humbly and sincerely,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference after the meeting. “I would like to continue supporting the prime minister,” he added.

Within the LDP, there have been calls for the party leadership, including Ishiba, to take responsibility for the election defeat. In a television program on the day, former Foreign Minister Taro Kono reiterated his call for LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama to resign.