Uncertainty Looms over Lower House Seat Reduction in Japan

Newsfrom Japan

Politics

Dec 1, 2025 09:30 (JST)

Tokyo, Dec. 1 (Jiji Press)–Dark clouds are hanging over the Japanese ruling coalition’s plan to cut the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament.

Reducing Lower House seats is a key item in the coalition agreement between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its new coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai.

The JIP is demanding a bill to make sure that the number of seats in the chamber will definitely be reduced by 10 pct in a year be passed during the ongoing extraordinary Diet session, which is currently scheduled to run until Dec. 17. The party has warned that it could exit the coalition unless the bill enactment is attained.

Although the LDP and the JIP aim to submit the planned bill to the Diet by Friday, the two parties are in no mood to draw up the legislation because frustration within the LDP over the attitude of the JIP is increasing.

“The LDP doesn’t seem to be enthusiastic,” a senior JIP lawmaker said Friday, expressing a strong sense of distrust in the bigger coalition partner.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press