By KEI KOBAYASHI/ Staff Writer
June 24, 2025 at 18:05 JST
The Diet building in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the ruling coalition’s goal is to retain its majority in the Upper House election, now formally set for July 20.
The Cabinet on June 24 decided on the election date. Campaigning will officially start on July 3 with around half of the Upper House seats up for grabs.
Specifically, 75 of the contested seats represent single districts and 50 seats will be won through the proportional representation system.
One of the seats will be fought over in a by-election in Tokyo to fill an Upper House vacancy.
Ishiba said at a news conference on June 23 that his Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, aim to hold onto their majority in the Diet chamber.
The opposition parties are aiming to knock the coalition into the minority, much like they did in the Lower House election last October.
The rising cost of living, the consumption tax and U.S. tariffs are expected to be among the big issues for the July 20 election.
The election date falls in the middle of a three-day weekend, the first time this has happened for a national election since 1952, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
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