The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito increased their combined share of the 248-seat parliament to 146 — well short of a majority — in elections for half the seats in the less powerful upper house. With the boost, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will rule without interruption until scheduled elections in 2025. That would allow Kishida to work on long-term policies such as national security, his signature but still vague “new capitalism” economic policy and his party’s long-held goal of amending the postwar pacifist constitution drafted by the US. A map change proposal is now a possibility. With the help of two opposition parties supporting a charter change, the ruling bloc now has the two-thirds majority in parliament needed to propose an amendment, making it a realistic possibility. The government bloc has already secured support in the other chamber. Kishida welcomed the big win but was not smiling, given the loss of Abe and the difficult task of uniting his party without him. In media interviews late Sunday, Kishida reiterated: “The unity of the party is more important than anything else.” He said responses to COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising prices would be his priorities. He also said he would firmly push for strengthening Japan’s national security as well as a constitutional amendment. Kishida and senior party lawmakers observed a minute’s silence for Abe at the party’s polling station before placing victory ribbons on the board next to the names of the candidates who secured their seats. Abe, 67, was shot while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara on Friday and died from massive blood loss. He was Japan’s longest-serving political leader with two terms in office, and although he stepped down in 2020 he was deeply influential in the LDP while heading its largest faction, the Seiwakai. “This could be a turning point” for the LDP over its divisive policies on gender equality, same-sex marriage and other issues that had been resisted by ultraconservatives with paternalistic family values backed by Abe, Mitsuru said. Fukuda, professor of crisis management at Nihon. University. Japan’s current diplomatic and security posture is unlikely to be affected because fundamental changes have already been made by Abe. His ultra-nationalist views and realist policies made him divisive to many, including in Korea and China. After the assassination, Sunday’s vote took on new meaning, with all of Japan’s political leaders stressing the importance of free speech and defending democracy against acts of violence. Abe’s assassination may have resulted in support votes. Sunday turnout was about 52%, up about 3 points from the previous 48.8% in 2019. “It was extremely important that we held the election,” Kishida said on Sunday. “Our effort to protect democracy continues.” On the final day of campaigning on Saturday, party leaders avoided fist bumps and other friendly gestures in close contact with the public – a sign of tighter security after Abe was killed at a campaign rally. Abe’s body was returned to his home in Tokyo’s upscale Shibuya, where many mourners, including Kishida and top party officials, paid their respects. His wake and funeral are expected in the coming days. On Sunday, the suspect accused of killing him was transferred to a local prosecutor’s office for further investigation, and a senior regional police official acknowledged that possible security gaps allowed the gunman to approach Abe and shoot him with his improvised weapon. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, told investigators he acted because of Abe’s rumored connection to an organization he resented, police said, but had no problem with the former leader’s political views. The man hated a religious group his mother was obsessed with that bankrupted a family business, according to media reports, including some that identified the group as the Unification Church. Nara Prefectural Police Chief Tomoaki Onizuka said Saturday that the security problems are undeniable, that he took the shooting seriously and would review security procedures. Abe resigned two years ago, blaming a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he had had since he was a teenager. He said he regretted leaving many of his goals unfinished, including revising Japan’s war-renouncing constitution. While some conservatives see the post-World War II charter as a humiliation, the public is more supportive of the document. Abe was keen to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a “normal” and “beautiful” nation with a stronger military through a security alliance with the United States and a greater role in international affairs. He became the youngest Prime Minister of Japan in 2006, at the age of 52. But his ultra-nationalist first term ended abruptly a year later, also due to ill health, sparking six years of annual leadership turnover. He returned to office in 2012, pledging to revive the nation and pull its economy out of deflationary oblivion with the “Abenomics” formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms. He won six national elections and built a firm grip on power. Japan is known for its strict gun laws. With a population of 125 million, it had just 21 gun-related crimes in 2020, according to the government’s latest crime document. Experts say, however, that some recent attacks have involved the use of consumer items such as gasoline, suggesting increased risks for ordinary people to be involved in mass attacks.
