Tokyo election results signal uncertainty for LDP ahead of Upper House race

The Liberal Democratic Party suffered a major setback in Sunday’s Tokyo assembly election, winning just 21 seats — a record low and down from the 30 it previously held. The most seats went to Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First), backed by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. The poor performance raised concerns within Japan’s biggest party as it heads into the Upper House election, expected to be held on July 20.

”It was a very tough election,” said Shinji Inoue, head of the LDP’s Tokyo chapter, speaking to reporters early Monday morning after the results came in.

Although the results from Sunday’s polls in the capital do not necessarily directly predict performance in the upcoming Upper House election, they signify an underlying trend in public opinion that affects both contests, says Hanako Ohmura, a professor at Kyoto University who specializes in public opinion and voting behavior.