The once-fringe far-right Sanseito party emerged as one of the biggest winners in Sunday’s upper house election in Japan, capitalising on voter discontent as prime minister Shigeru Ishiba’s coalition lost its majority.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito won only 47 of the 125 contested seats in the House of Councillors, missing their goal of 50 required to retain control. Their combined strength in the 248-seat chamber shrank to 122, down from 141 earlier.