Japan's ruling bloc loses lower house majority

Could it finally be that the Japanese people are finally starting to see the wood for the trees?

The picture says it all..

So even the Japanese can one day have enkugh. There is a little hope yet

Analysts also say the election outcome will make it almost impossible to fulfill key promise of initiating a proposal to revise the country's Constitution through parliament before a national referendum, which requires approval by a two-thirds majority in parliament.

What is urgency for that?

Also what will happen to happiness index.

https://fortune.com/asia/2024/10/03/japan-new-prime-minister-shigeru-ishiba-propose-happiness-index/

Specially that chair top covers! Everything in that room is still in the 1970s.

the country is like a car stuck even more in mud

It's Sanae time!

The coalition would still fall short of a majority in the powerful lower house even if Ishiba accepts back into the LDP former party lawmakers who ran as independents after being denied LDP endorsement over the scandal.

That was the standout for me about the election coverage and kudos to some Japanese MSM for making a point of it.

Having all these LDP politicians running, many who still won besides the large fraudulent sums they accumulated showed the absurdity of the LDP hegemony.

Likes the small Reiwa performing strong.

This election reflects people’s indifference and fatigue with the LDP, but does not yet signal a way forward.

We need someone who can articulate a new vision for Japan.

The future seems to be tough to predict. But as long as there are lame fist pumps, there is hope.

A shocking outcome for the government. Can they continue?

The LDP government met with voters' angry hammer. The catch, however, is that the voter turnout was a mere 25%. Is democracy working here?

Yen is falling already, what a ghastly mess.

It may seem like a step in the right direction; unfortunately, with the CDP lacking an absolute majority (unlike the DPJ in 2009), it’s likely just going to be a big mess.

"We were far from gaining the public's 'understanding'", says the hapless, unliked Ishiba. NO. The public understood very well that as soon as the election was over, those caught breaking the law in your party would be welcomed back as "valued" members with ZERO consequences.

Unfortunately, the Opposition is so weak and such a hodgepodge of characters and beliefs, that the LDP will get first crack at forming government again, hence Ishiba's refusal to take responsibility for his failure to keep even his first promise to the people. Rather than resign, he's planning to stick around. This, too, the public "understands".

It's Sanae time!

Exactly, and I said it before. But as usual they don't listen and prefer continuing to gamble everything away.

Finally, we've driven out soka cult and corrupt jimin out of Osaka.

@voiceofokinawa

The total turnout is 53.81%, as written in the article.

Low still. About 20% did vote during the previous two weeks.

Turn out was about 53%.

Good news

wallace:

Turn out was about 53%.

That's not too bad, and it's about same as US presidential election turn out.

1984 53.3%

1988 50.3%

1992 55.2%

1996 49.0%

2000 50.5%

2004 55.7%

2008 57.1%

2012 53.8%

2016 54.8%

2020 62.8%

We were far from gaining the public's understanding" over the slush funds scandal, Ishiba said. 

He was right. Those who didn’t understand either voted for the LDP regardless, or didn’t even bother to vote, thus allowing the Corruption Party to get only a little short of a majority. An understanding of the situation should have seen the LDP relegated ignominiously to the also-rans, not contemplating which minor party/parties they can bribe to join them and keep them in power.

The so-called opposition parties need to get their act together and give voters an viable alternative.

Invalid CSRF

Still haven’t got this fixed?

Just look at the raw animal charisma oozing from every pore of that dynamic bunch.

Oh my…

And it looks like the only way to cling to power is to reinstate the very few apparatchiks who were even too flagrantly corrupt for the LDP. So the message is “help yourself to every yen you can bilk out of people and even if we put you on the naughty step for a while, we’ll take good care of you after a short period of penance”.

@cleo spot on!

At least the Jiminto will no longer be able to rule by decree (kakugi kettei) and will have to debate policies in the house in proper democratic fashion

Jiminto have a horrible track record, not to mention they are notorious for financial scandals.

Based on the age of these folks and their supporters, they are dying off.

Surprising. The best outcome from here is not a bodged coalition based on quid-pro-quo favours, but for only initiatives that have cross-party support to be do-able, on a vote-by-vote basis.

The charisma of a politician is of no importance to me. What matters are their honesty, competence, policy ideas and values. Having said that there is still not much to recommend among those in the image.

The picture says it all..

Patriarchal gerontocracy. It makes me wanna puke.

Present ruling party LDP seems to have plan to pull far-right opposition party National "Democratic" Party into ruling party to maintain regime.

But they "NDP" insists even euthanasia for the purpose of reducing social security cost during this election campaigning, it's like geronticide or eugenics thought under totalitarianism, more boosts dividing citizen or society.

Koizumi sticks out like a sore thumb in that photo. Time for him and the other non-geriatrics to jump ship and join the CDP.

Koizumi sticks out like a sore thumb in that photo. Time for him and the other non-geriatrics to jump ship and join the CDP.

Koizumi is just waiting for the others in the pic to die to grab his inheritance.

Positive point:

Soka Gakkai lost quite some power!

@awomde Takaichi? You must be joking!

Congratulations, for the ordinary Japanese people, that is a good news !

This result could represent a once in a generation opportunity for a form of unity government.

Don't squander it.

I suggest J electorate want trustworthy competent government

So the LDP without any more stonewalling, submit to a fully independent statutory public inquiry in political funding and the clear evidence, legality of the clandestine use of "Slush Funds".

If necessary individual diet members should be called upon to give evidence under oath in front of a Judge.

Only then can the nation move on.

A commission to find political unity on how depopulation can be confronted, tackled so a solution can be implemented that represents genuine change.

Employment laws need urgent reform, taxation restructured, the regressive consumption tax reduced in phases.

Child care given a top priority. etc.

A program to secure J agriculture, at the same time a methodology to make home grown produce more affordable.

Japan's ruling bloc loses lower house majority

So, does this mean Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will step down and take responsibility? It was in fact his idea to hold this snap election and let the people express their support or not of his new administration and the LDP.

The sad part is that it's probably not because Japanese are waking up, just that there are less old people than there was before.

Sven AsaiToday  08:04 am JST

"It's Sanae time!"

Exactly, and I said it before.

Surely you weren't serious though? This election shows that Japanese voters want competent, honest centrists in charge, not ultra-rightist career whackjobs who are only interested in self-advancement.

Part of the low voter turnout is that so many Japanese are working long hours that it is hard to get to a polling booth.

Kurisupisu: on Sundays?