In Tokyo, Japan, a banner featuring photos of past and present Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leaders is displayed on the party’s headquarters building. According to reports from Nikkei and NHK on the 23rd, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered a significant defeat in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election held the previous day, securing only 21 out of 127 total seats in 42 districts, marking their lowest-ever seat count. This is lower than their previous record low of 23 seats in 2017.
The Komeito party, an LDP coalition partner, also failed to achieve its goal of winning all of its 22 candidates, ending up with 19 seats. In contrast, the regional party Tomin First, led by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, secured 31 seats, regaining its position as the leading party.
Despite the loss, the LDP, Komeito, and Tomin First, which support Governor Koike, secured a majority of seats, establishing a solid foundation in the assembly. The major factor behind the LDP’s defeat appears to be the backlash from voters against a slush fund issue. The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly LDP group was found to have failed to report some of the revenues from political fund-raising events, sparking controversy, similar to the factional issues within the central party.
In this election, the LDP did not endorse six former officials involved in the slush fund issue, yet they failed to win the public’s favor. According to an exit poll conducted by Nikkei, 60% of voters considered the political funding issue, and even among LDP supporters, about half were conscious of it, with a substantial number casting their votes for other parties.
Additionally, the rising price of rice and the resulting inflation created a backlash against the LDP. On June 13, as the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election was gearing up, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ordered the review of a plan to provide support money of 20,000 yen (approximately 190,000 won) per person nationwide as a policy for the upcoming upper house election, but the public’s response was not favorable.