Japan's ruling party retains parliamentary majority in new prime minister's 1st election

(Image credit: Behrouz Mehri/Pool/AFP/Getty Images)

published 1 November 2021

New Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida celebrated his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's surprising margin of victory in Sunday parliamentary elections. The LDP lost a handful of seats — it claimed 261 of the lower house's 465 seats, from 276 previously — but will retain its absolute majority, allowing Kishida to more easily enact his agenda. Initial exit polls suggested the LDP would need the support of its more dovish junior coalition partner, Komeita, which increased its seats to 32, from 29.

"We won a majority, which I think in this election was significant," Kishida told reporters. "I want to make full use of this both in running the government and running parliament." His priorities include boosting spending to help the country rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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