Opinion surveys suggest that the Liberal Democratic Party of Ishiba may not reach the majority in the elections of the Upper House.
The voters in Japan will go to the surveys in the elections of the upper house that is seen as proof of the popularity of Prime Minister Shigeru Ihiba and his ruling coalition.
The voting stations opened throughout the country at 7 am on Sunday (22:00 GMT, Saturday) and will continue until 8 pm (11:00 GMT) in most places, according to Japan's national station, NHK.
The growing cost of living, especially for the basic food of rice, is a key issue for many voters, with a decrease in population and foreign policy also on the agenda, according to NHK.
Opinion surveys suggest that the LDP Democratic Party (LDP) of ISHIBA and the Komeito coalition partner may live up to the 50 seats necessary to retain control of the upper Parliament of the Parliament of 248 seats in an election where half of the seats are at stake.
A poor performance on Sunday would not immediately trigger a change of government because the upper house lacks the power to present a motion of non -confidence against a leader, but would certainly deepen the uncertainty about the destiny of Ihiba and the political stability of Japan. Ishiba would face calls within the LDP to resign or find another coalition partner.
Opinion surveys also suggest that the smallest opposition parties that drive tax cuts and increased public spending will be obtained. These parties include Sanseito from the right, which promises to stop immigration, opposes foreign capital entries and movements of inverse gender equality.
“I am attending the postgraduate school, but there are no Japanese [people] around me. They are all foreigners, ”said Yu Nagai, a 25 -year -old student who said he voted for Sanseito.
“When I look at the way in which compensation and money are spent on foreigners, I think the Japanese are a bit disrespected,” Nagai told the Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, other voters expressed concern about increasing xenophobia.
Yuko Tsuji, a 43 -year -old consultant, who came to an electoral table inside a gym in the center of Tokyo with her husband, said they support LDP for stability and unity and voted “for candidates who will not feed the division.”
“If the ruling party does not govern correctly, the conservative base will go to the extremes. So I voted with the hope that the ruling party would harden things,” he told the Associated Press news agency.
Daiichi Nasu on its own, 57, said it awaits a change towards a more inclusive and diverse society, with more open immigration and gender policies, such as allowing married couples to maintain separate surnames. “That is why I voted for the CDPJ,” he said, referring to the Constitutional Party of Japan of the opposition. “I want to see progress on those fronts.”
More than 20 percent of registered voters, about 21 million people, voted early, significantly more than three years, NHK reported.
Ishiba, 68, a “geek” of selfish defense and train enthusiast, became Prime Minister in his fifth attempt last September before calling SNAP elections immediately at the end of October.
These surveys marked a significant defeat for the ruling coalition of the new prime minister, who won only 209 seats in the Chamber of Representatives of Parliament, below the 279 he previously celebrated.
In April, Isthiba announced emergency economic measures to relieve any impact on industries and homes affected by the new tariffs imposed by the United States in Japanese exports.
The country is still frantically looking for a postponement of rates of 25 percent proposed by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, before a new deadline of August 1 promoted by Washington.
The Center-Right LDP of ISHIBA has governed Japan almost continuously since 1955, although with frequent leader changes.
He is the third prime minister to direct the country since former leader Shinzo Abe resigned in September 2020.
Abe was killed two years later, which caused revelations and public outrage over ties between the former prime minister, his PLD and the unification church.
