Photo/Illutration Shinji Inoue, head of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Tokyo chapter, monitors Tokyo assembly election results at LDP headquarters in Chiyoda Ward on June 22. (Tatsuya Shimada)

The Liberal Democratic Party suffered a record-setting loss in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election on June 22 while the regional Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First) party regained its top-place position.

The LDP was the leading party in the assembly before the election with 30 seats, including those held by those not officially endorsed.

But after the election, when all 127 assembly seats were up for grabs, the party won 21, down from its previous record low of 23 in the 2017 election.

Tokyoites First, for which Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike serves as a special adviser, gained 31 seats, up from its pre-election strength of 26, including one party-related independent.

Voter turnout was 47.59 percent, up from 42.39 percent in the previous election.

Koike made frequent campaign appearances around the capital to garner support for Tokyoites First candidates.

But the election was also seen as a bellwether for the July 20 Upper House election.

A scandal over unreported political funds led in large part to the LDP’s struggles in the Lower House election in October and the loss of its majority in that Diet chamber.

The party also faced public anger over similar funding misconduct among LDP assembly members in Tokyo.

As self-punishment, the LDP withheld official endorsement in the election for six members who have served as secretary-general of the party’s parliamentary group in the Tokyo assembly.

The election also ended a long streak for Komeito, the LDP’s junior partner in the ruling coalition.

Komeito held 23 assembly seats before election day.

But aware of declining support, the party ran for only 22 seats, hoping that all of its candidates would emerge victorious for the ninth straight assembly election.

However, three of the candidates lost, dropping Komeito’s assembly strength to 19 seats.

Komeito emphasized its collaboration with Koike during the campaign. The LDP has also supported the governor.

Before the election campaign started, Tokyoites First, the LDP and Komeito held a pro-Koike majority of 64 seats in the assembly.

The Democratic Party for the People, which won nine seats on June 22, is also expected to support the Koike administration, ensuring the four parties together hold a majority favoring the governor.

These seats represent the DPP’s first-ever victories in a Tokyo metropolitan assembly.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party criticized the Koike administration and the LDP fund scandals throughout the election campaign.

While the CDP increased its number of seats from 13 to 17, the JCP saw a decline in strength to 14 seats.

The Sanseito party won its first seat in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly.

Path to Rebirth, a new regional party founded by Shinji Ishimaru, who placed a surprising second in last summer’s Tokyo gubernatorial election, failed to win a single seat.

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Number of seats won by major parties:

Tokyoites First: 31

Liberal Democratic Party: 21

Komeito: 19

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan: 17

Japanese Communist Party: 14

Democratic Party for the People: 9

Sanseito: 3

Tokyo Seikatsusha Network: 1

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