LDP set to retain majority in upper house election

Mr Abe will win. But amendment of the Constitution will be still so far.

LDP AND KOMEITO will get majority in the Upper House elections today. PM Abe will need one more term after 2o21 to complete his unfinished agenda.

What are you doing Daddy? I’m filling out the paper to improve the lives of top businesses and top party leaders.

Does it improve our lives too daddy? It keeps our lives the same.

A cliffhanger.

What are you doing daddy?

Im ensuring you debt level will grow and your children will die in wars they have no business being in. But my parents voted for them and I'm sure one day they will do something positive for your children....after 70 odd years it's got to be positive at some stage.

See you latter I have some voluntary overwork to fulfill I could only visit if I promised to vote LDP by baby see you next year.

Opinion polls suggest his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito are likely to win a majority, mostly due to a lackluster opposition.

Apathetic population rather than lackluster opposition.

"Abe's strength is largely based on passive support resulting from disarray in the opposition camp and a lack of rivals," Shinichi Nishikawa, professor of political science at Meiji University in Tokyo, told AFP.

Talk about damning with faint praise.

I don't care about the election (no vote) but the photograph leading this article is wonderful!

This type of pre-conclusive article might discourage some (or young) voters to get out there and vote. Forgone conclusion, right? This is not true, there is still time. Get out there and matter!

So nothing is gonna change in Japan. By the way, the little girl in the picture is so adorable!

yoshisan88, things won't change if people don't vote, Dear contributor! I sure you did.

For everyone else, there is still two hours, go out there and make a difference!

Agreed the little girl in the picture is cute.......but because of the LDP's spend,spend policy she is already nearly ¥9,000,000 in the hole because of the LDP'S prolificacy where handing taxpayer's cash to their brethren is concerned.

Maybe LDP may win again, but LDP changes and loses its ruling power when Abe becomes one of just another lawmakers in 2 years. Because no one can be like Abe.

You just put down your wave/surf/skate board: you still have 50 mins to make a difference! You can still count!

Sorry, 45 mins.

Simon Foston, you beat me to it!

Agree about the picture, it is always good to take little children and show them, it makes it far more likely they will vote when they grow up. All in favour of that, the more people vote in elections the better and stronger democracy is.

If Abe wants to get his reforms through he will have to carefully word the changes so as to minimise the apparent change then he might be able to spin it through a referendum. Otherwise I suspect not.

Too late as usual Abe might have a few years more to suck cash from all of us but he will retire with most of our cash. Then claim it's our fault for not having ¥20 million yen saved. Sorry Mr Abe you taxed me more then ¥20 million, small question where did all the money legally have to give you actually go?

It's getting a little dark now at the polling booths, but we are still welcoming voters with open arms!

I still have a tiny, positive future of Japan in my hands. God's children.

I should have said "God's speed" ...

We're still here. Walk in and vote now!

How exciting. Can't wait for the results....

There was a lot of voting after 4pm.

How embarrassing for a democracy.

Where has it gone so wrong?

Much to the surprise of absolutely nobody.

Did Abe promise anything this time?, I'm still waiting for his reasons for delivering none of his previous promises.

custardsquares

How embarrassing for a democracy.

About what?

77% either don't care what happens, or just know LDP will win again, or just too busy voting on who's next number one girl of AKB, SKE, WHAteVER.

Socrates...

the voting turn out

So.. just over 1 in 5 eligible voters cast a vote? Facepalm.

kwattToday  06:07 pm JST

Because no one can be like Abe.

If Shinjiro Koizumi had run in the last LDP presidential election no one would be talking about Abe right now.

Only 22% care enough to vote. My Mrs voted at 6pm and it had not changed. This statistic goes far beyond apathy.

"Vote on LDP because I see no other alternative". Wow that's just naive and dull.

If you're not into politics you are what the ancient greeks would call "an idiot"! Politics defines our society. You're basically denying the democracy if you're not voting.

The dullest election, and the most undemocratic western democracy in recent time!

I support the current government because I see no alternative

I voted for an opposition candidate but whoever is elected, nothing will change. I have no expectations

Best comments ever. But it’s sad to know that the people believe so little in their government. They seriously need to usher in real change that would win back the faith of the people

"Daddy... this is illegal, but it's fun!"

If Shinjiro Koizumi had run in the last LDP presidential election no one would be talking about Abe right now.

@ Simon Foston - Wrong. Koizumi-san does not have the experience or support of the party yet. He must will serve an apprenticeship under PM Abe, and Aso-sensei, before he is ready to take over the LDP rule, and become PM. Maybe 2024, maybe 2025.

By the way, this is looking like a solid victory to the LDP and PM Abe!

"Opposition parties are woeful," she told AFP. "I don't want to leave power to them."

Well argued by this voter, and so true! Why risk damaging Japan by giving power to this woeful collection of tiny parties.

I support the current government because I see no alternative.

The opposition parties are woeful.

Japanese politics in a nutshell . Mizuho Umemura is just eye candy. I'm sure I saw her on AV. What a farce.

Japanese people has supported Abe as one of the longest PM in history. Doesn't need 100% turn out to have support of people. Several of my friends did not go out to vote for Abe but support him.

Have a good day everyone.

Do the hustleToday  08:11 pm JST

Only 22% care enough to vote. My Mrs voted at 6pm and it had not changed. This statistic goes far beyond apathy.

Apathy? Yeah. Maybe. But bunch of such incompetent flatterers of oppositions should be also blamed.

JT community laughs at Japan as non-democratic one-party ruling, no different from China.

It's not fair, yes Japan has been almost one-party monopoly, but it's been as results of democratic process.

After all, people do not trust those all bark no bite professional deniers.

Well if your informed decision is no change so be it, good luck with that pay rise, and tax rise. Hopefully that bridge to nowhere will lead to your house. And your kids well they can pay for all the debt working for ¥800 an hour. And you do realise that the LDP Heavy weights are mostly in their 70s hardly a long term option

so yes Na na na na hey goodbye

Provisional results at 20:44 hours.

LDP: 82. Win 26 seats.

CDP: 22. Win 7 seats.

DPFP: 17. Win 2 seats.

KP: 17. Win 3 seats.

ISHIN: 9. Win 3 seats.

JCP: 7. Win 1 seat.

SDPJ: 1

independent: 10. 2 seats won.

Numbers coming in are showing big swings to the LDP! Super Majority here we come!

Resultados provisionales a las 21:00 horas.

LDP: 84. Win 28 seats.

CDP: 22. Win 7 seats.

DPFP: 17. Win 2 seats.

KP: 17. Win 3 seats.

ISHIN: 9. Win 3 seats.

JCP: 7. Win 1 seat.

SDPJ: 1

independent: 10. 2 seats won.

Nikkei will have a big boost tomorrow. 1.5-2% up. Win-win!

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm collecting the results from Google Spain. That's why Spanish words have crept in.

Provisional results at 21:13 hours.

LDP: 84. Win 28 seats.

CDP: 22. Win 7 seats.

DPFP: 17. Win 2 seats.

KP: 17. Win 3 seats.

ISHIN: 9. Win 3 seats.

JCP: 7. Win 1 seat.

SDPJ: 1 

independent: 10. 2 seats won.

Provisional results at 21:34 hours.

LDP: 84. Win 28 seats.

CDP: 22. Win 7 seats.

DPFP: 17. Win 2 seats.

KP: 20. Win 6 seats.

ISHIN: 9. Win 3 seats.

JCP: 7. Win 1 seat.

SDPJ: 1 

independent: 10. 2 seats won.

I live in Japan

my wife and children are Japanese my grandchildren are Japanese.

so do I hate Japan?

aparrently not?

can not vote but can vent I want a better future for my family not 1930s style

is that wrong?

Its just not heathy to have one party, one family line in control for so long

stale air you open a widow...don't you

custardsquares

the voting turn out

Not voting is a choice, in my opinion. I do not want to see voting to be mandatory, which is against freedom of choice.

Ganbare Japan!Today  08:36 pm JST

"If Shinjiro Koizumi had run in the last LDP presidential election no one would be talking about Abe right now."

@ Simon Foston - Wrong. Koizumi-san does not have the experience or support of the party yet.

He doesn't need experience. The public would swing behind him and the LDP would dump old has-beens like Aso and Abe in the blink of an eye.

He must will serve an apprenticeship under PM Abe, and Aso-sensei...

That wouldn't do him much good.

This election was very important. The LDP did win putting them closer to higher taxes. There are other ways to raise funding vs raising consumption tax rate to 10%. Quite frankly Japan does not need to raise or take such measures. In my opinion there are other agendas but the public is not getting the full story, i.e. cost of Japan military funding..

Provisional results at 21:48 hours.

LDP: 86. Win 30 seats.

CDP: 22. Win 7 seats.

KP: 20. Win 6 seats.

DPFP: 17. Win 2 seats.

ISHIN: 9. Win 3 seats.

JCP: 8. Win 2 seat.

SDPJ: 1 

independent: 10. 2 seats won.

Yes the military funding is a state secret, as is government spending. That's the problem we have no idea what our taxes are being spent on. Certainly not child care, or anything beneficial for the future. Transperacy would be nice but not beneficial for the LDP.

The LDP; neither Liberal, Democratic, nor a Party!

Well, people are reporting the results of voting, but I say they are the results of not voting!

Another depressing turnout.

This democracy lark doesn’t really cut it here. Perhaps free tapioca drinks might inspire the younger generation in particular to get out and vote.

Provisional results at 22:39 hours.

LDP: 87. Win 31 seats.

CDP: 23. Win 8 seats.

KP: 20. Win. 6 seats.

DPFP: 17. Win 2 seats.

ISHIN: 10. Win 4 seats.

JCP: 8. Win 2 seat.

SDPJ: 1 

independent: 10. 2 seats won.

The girl in the photo looks quite young for 18.

@JenniSchiebel - yes, but she's Japanese, and that counts more than a Tax Paying Foreigner within this Country who are prohibited from exercising a Democratic right...

The girl in the photo looks quite young for 18.

Just below the photo lies the description -

A girl helps to cast a ballot...

Hiya Jenni! Must admit it sure does look like she is voting! I bet she runs for office when she grows up!

The whole election smells fishy.

LDP popularity is down but they get the most votes? Pffft

27% at 6pm ? even a developing country in africa would have a higher rate.. this is so wrong

"This democracy lark doesn’t really cut it here."

Sop pretending this is a Japan-only phenomenon.

During the 2016 Brexit-Ref I could only see myself and a few others, amongst a wave of grey, all economics "experts", patiently waiting tp cast the vote.

Probably free booze or ciggies would have brought the youth back from the quasi comatose state self-induced the night before.

Eww! The turn out in Miyagi wasn't too bad!

A victory for Japanese people today.

Abe san and his coalition failed to secure 2/3 supermajority needed to start the Deletion of Article 9 process.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/07/7daa3eb5fd2b-voting-begins-in-japans-upper-house-election.html

Abe's Constitution reform camp loses 2/3 upper house majority

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition won the majority of seats in Sunday's upper house election, but failed to maintain two-thirds of the chamber in support of his quest to revise Japan's Constitution.

Abe san and his coalition failed to secure 2/3 supermajority needed to start the Deletion of Article 9 process.

Thank goodness this is the best new I heard in a very long time !!!

Let's hope the decline of LDP has finally begun !!!

Ganbare Japan!July 21  08:57 pm JST

Numbers coming in are showing big swings to the LDP! Super Majority here we come!

So... what happened to that super majority then?

@ Simon Foston. Slowly slowly. Negotiations will take place over the next 6 months with an aim of starting the Constitutional changes in motion in September 2020. patience and persistence is PM Abes strength.

As for the election, it was a big endorsement of PM Abe, Abenomics, and the crucial tax reform coming. Heartwarming to see the LDP has captured the hearts and minds of the youth, with the 18-25 demographic solidly behind the government. Youngsters for Abe!

Ganbare Japan!Today  10:57 am JST

As for the election, it was a big endorsement of PM Abe, Abenomics, and the crucial tax reform coming...

Turnout of less than 50% and no sign of the super-majority you were so confidently predicting. That's not a big endorsement.

Mister XToday  02:49 am JST

Let's hope the decline of LDP has finally begun !!!

If Shinzo Abe and Taro Aso are the best the LDP can manage for leadership it's obvious the decline started quite a while ago. Unfortunately no one has been able to capitalise on it yet.