Abe's ruling bloc wins big in upper house vote

@Bertie 'The fact that close to 70% chose not to vote speaks volumes' Maybe so, but to whom? I doubt the LDP and Komeito would be too concerned.

Please no nationalistic policies..I firmly believe it is not the answer to peace and advertises strife instead.

..as if somebody would even read these comments or value them :/

I get a sad déjà vu feeling...the current political situation in Japan seems like the one in Italy, my country, where you can't tell apart the major centre-right party (PdL) from the major center-left wing party (DP). They are basically the same party. I can understand apathy of Japanese people very well. When you basically have not a real choice, you would prefer to spend your time at the beach. ^__^" I always go to vote, though.

NHK reported that voter turnout was at 32.64%

Lol, this number shows Abe actually lost. I feel pity for poor Japanese people who apparently are really tired of their politicians and their nationalist crap.

The LDP and two smaller parties that back Abe’s drive to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution to legitimise the military looked to fall short of the two-thirds majority needed to take revisions of the charter to a public referendum, the exit polls showed. Those parties have two-thirds of the lower house seats.

This is a good news. They can't revise Japan’s pacifist constitution, right? I hope to have understood correctly.

I wonder if people realize that because the "ruling coalition" is dependent on Komeito for its majority, no new laws will be passed in Japan without Soka Gakkai's Chairman Emeritus Daisaku Ikeda pulling the strings.

One party to rule them all.

Now it's gonna get messy...

32% turnout? Even if that climbs to 40%, it's dangerously low. This is hardly a mandate for Abe and the LDP. This is a very troubling day. Looks like the razzmatazz of 'Abenomics' wasn't enough to get most people off their arses to vote, while the other parties don't even deserve to be called nonentities. I can't remember when Japanese politics ( hardly vibrant at the best of times ) was in such a critical state.

Unless there is a "No One" choice on the ballot paper on which people can stamp, abstaining from voting to show disagreement doesn't matter in practise. Ultimately Abe would have the numbers in the house.

Well with this number, it's clear that there is no democracy in Japan. It's a total win of the nasty politicians that have controlled this country for ever and made everything so that nothing can come to remove them from the power.

Here we go again. Try to guess who rebuilt Japan after WWII. Japan can't be a true democracy, when even if people vote for a party that seems different form the other one, finally this party acts exactly like the other one because of a powerful pressure from another country.

"NHK reported that voter turnout was at 32.64% as of 6 p.m., down 6.96% from the last upper house election in 2010."

This is totally misleading, giving the impression that voter turnout in the 2010 election was only 39%. Sentence should have concluded with "at the same hour of 6pm."

It appears voter turnout this time was above 52%. Still low for a Sunday election in a wealthy country, but it's the first weekend of summer vacation, and this wasn't a general election. For comparison, look at rates of voter turnout in American congressional mid-term elections (they are much lower, below 40% in some years, albeit held on the very inconvenient day of Tuesday). Like him or not, Shinzo Abe has sufficient reason to claim a mandate. First order of business: Visit Yasukuni Shrine on August 15. I predict he will do it.

Unless there is a "No One" choice on the ballot paper on which people can stamp

That's a good idea, then make voting compulsory by law. Result would be more interesting then

Its painful to read the BS in the blurb!

Since the VAST majority DIDNT VOTE I read it as the people of Japan have spoken load & clear, CURRENT politicians SUCK!

We get to continue to watch the rot.

Congratulation Cumpai »

With this win Abe will bring Japan no end of trouble.

So what do you all think will happen? How far can they go (in a bad way)?

This is not democracy... how can so few votes decide the fate of Japan?

"NHK reported that voter turnout was at 32.64% as of 6 p.m."

Well with this number, it's clear that there is no democracy in Japan. It's a total win of the nasty politicians that have controlled this country for ever and made everything so that nothing can come to remove them from the power. They have created passive, poorly informed people that are unable to build a rational point of view and hence unable to vote. This result is a continuation of decades of an operation which has built a society of manipulable robots.

Hence there is no democracy in Japan, such few voters should not be able to make up the destiny of all.

Anyone else notice the trend on tv? Japanese seem to be voting for the oldest candidates, rather than younger candidates below 50, with most women candidates losing to their male counterparts despite the age factor. Looks like the oyaji club will be partying it up (sleeping) in parliament once again...

The "torsion" of both houses of Representatives and Councilors will dissolve.

Cue track 11 from album, The Doors.

This is an absolute gift for those who want to see Japan collapse. Nigelboy - I hope you're worried. I'd be if I'd actually cared about this country - I'm past caring.

Big changes ahead for Japan...not!

Silence has a different meaning for Japanese people than it has for "wareware gaijin."

I learned early on in Japan silence that is not merely non-communication.

It carries a message.

The fact that close to 70 percent chose not to vote speaks volumes.

@BertieWooster...

Silence has a different meaning for Japanese people than it has for "wareware gaijin."

You and I agree on this - the first thing I tell foreigners during consult is that "In Japan it is not what is said that is important - it's what is not being said that is the most important thing to listen for and form opinions from..."

This is one of the least easy parts of the culture for the unacquainted to understand and seems nonsensical until you have lived / operated in the environment for a few years ( although some seem to have lived here a lifetime and will never "get it" )

I wonder if people realize that because the "ruling coalition" is dependent on Komeito for its majority, no new laws will be passed in Japan without Soka Gakkai's Chairman Emeritus Daisaku Ikeda pulling the strings.

Is he really alive??

Surprising that Taro " no nuke get out Japan" got in. I didn't see that. Good job by Miyagi to oust Tomiko Okazaki. LDP is 29-2 on single member voting districts while DPJ is 0-19.

Actually, it's over 50% turnout. Upper house elections don't generate that much voters.

"NHK reported that voter turnout was at 32.64% as of 6 p.m."

You know, 41,713,920 (32% of Japan's population) people is far more than enough to generate a statistically significant sample size.