July 22, 2025
The Japanese Communist Party issued a statement on the results of the House of Councillors election held on July 20. In this election, the JCP won 3 seats out of the 7 that were up for re-election. As a result, the party now holds a total of 7 seats in the House of Councillors (Upper House), including those not subject to this election. In the House of Representatives (Lower House), the JCP currently holds 8 seats. The full text of the statement follows:
On the outcome of the House of Councillors election
Japanese Communist Party Standing Executive Committee
(1)
In the House of Councillors election held on July 20, the Japanese Communist Party campaigned with the goal of securing “6.5 million votes, over 10% of the total votes, and five seats” in the proportional representation segment. However, the party received only 2,864,000 votes, accounting for 4.84% of the total, resulting in a reduction from four seats to two. Compared with recent national elections, both the vote count and share in the proportional representation segment declined from 3,618,000 votes (6.82%) in the previous Upper House election and 3,362,000 votes (6.16%) in last year’s general election.
In the constituency races, we are pleased that Kira Yoshiko secured a third term in the Tokyo district, thanks to the dedicated efforts of JCP members and supporters in Tokyo, as well as the continued support from people across the country since the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June. However, in the Kyoto and Saitama constituencies, we were unable to prevail in the fierce contests and consequently lost the incumbent seats.
The outcome for the JCP is deeply disappointing and regrettable. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who supported us by casting their votes, as well as to the supporters, volunteers, and party members who made tireless efforts despite the scorching summer heat. We sincerely apologize for failing to deliver results that met your expectations.
We will sincerely reflect on opinions from both inside and outside the party, draw firm lessons at the upcoming Central Committee plenum, and put them to full use in the next national election campaign—with a strong determination to make a comeback.
(2)
The overall outcome of the election—reducing the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Komei Party to a minority in the House of Councillors, following their setback in last year’s Lower House election—is, in itself, a significant and positive development in Japanese politics.
The JCP set as its central goal to make this House of Councillors election one that would reduce the LDP-Komei alliance to a minority in the chamber and open the way to ending LDP-led politics. The JCP confronted LDP politics head-on and carried out the campaign by presenting responsible and concrete alternatives. Aiming to further advance the collaboration between citizens and opposition parties, the JCP helped unify candidates in 17 single-member districts across the country, achieving victories in 12 of them. These efforts contributed to delivering a clear verdict against the LDP-Komei coalition. Defending the “All Okinawa” seat in the Okinawa constituency was a significant victory for the ongoing as well as associated future struggles in Okinawa.
On the other hand, it is a serious development that the LDP’s complementary forces, as well as xenophobic and far-right movements that peddle discrimination against foreigners, have gained both seats and votes. These movements, together with certain media outlets that fueled the notion that the election hinged on the rise and fall of specific parties aligned with such ideologies, played a harmful role in obscuring the real issues of the election and exerted significant pressure that hampered our party’s advance. At the same time, our party’s unwavering stance in confronting this reactionary trend has earned renewed trust among those who are deeply concerned about the current situation. We will continue to confront head-on the dangers posed by the complementary forces, xenophobic rhetoric, and far-right extremism—standing unwaveringly for equality, human rights, and democracy.
At the root of the rising tide of xenophobia lie deep hardships in daily life and a pervasive sense of political stagnation. We are committed to intensifying our efforts to respond to the demands of those who seek a way out of these conditions—including people who have been influenced by xenophobic rhetoric—and to offer a clear and hopeful path forward.
On the one hand, the LDP-Komei coalition has fallen into a minority position; on the other, dangerous reactionary forces are on the rise. Japanese politics now stands at a major historical crossroads, and a period of significant political turbulence is anticipated. The JCP’s role is more important than ever as it confronts head-on the LDP-Komei government, its auxiliary forces, and the xenophobic and far-right currents, while striving for political transformation. At this critical moment, what Japanese politics needs is a party that refuses to be swayed by the current of the times and upholds principled positions. Fully aware of this responsibility, we are determined to make every effort, together with the general public, to advance a “new political process” aimed at seeking and building an alternative to LDP politics.
(3)
The JCP's policy appeals in the Upper House election were pioneering and aligned with the wishes of the public. These included reducing the consumption tax alongside responsible funding measures, promoting wage increases through political action, halting the collapse of medical and nursing care systems and expanding social security budgets, and opposing the large-scale military buildup while pursuing peace in East Asia through diplomacy.
As the JCP has emphasized throughout the election campaign, the only way to overcome the crises in people's livelihoods and establish lasting peace, and to break through the political deadlock, is to advance reforms that correct the “two distortions” of LDP politics: its prioritization of big business interests and its subordination to the United States. With firm conviction, we will actively engage in Diet deliberations and parliamentary work, organize movements across all sectors to meet public demands, and make every effort to fulfill the pledges made during the election campaign.
(4)
What we have come to keenly realize through this election campaign is that, in order to advance the “new political process” in which the people are seeking and exploring alternatives to LDP politics, we must fundamentally strengthen our party’s capabilities—both in quality and in scale.
We are determined to further strengthen our efforts to respond to the sincere aspirations of the people, while fundamentally reinforcing our study of the JCP Program, the Party Constitution, scientific socialism, and the history of the JCP. Our aim is to build a stronger and larger party—both in quality and quantity—that can continue to make progress under any political turbulence. We will firmly uphold this as the most important lesson from the painful setback this time around in the Upper House election and will strive forward with renewed resolve.
On the outcome of the House of Councillors election
Japanese Communist Party Standing Executive Committee
(1)
In the House of Councillors election held on July 20, the Japanese Communist Party campaigned with the goal of securing “6.5 million votes, over 10% of the total votes, and five seats” in the proportional representation segment. However, the party received only 2,864,000 votes, accounting for 4.84% of the total, resulting in a reduction from four seats to two. Compared with recent national elections, both the vote count and share in the proportional representation segment declined from 3,618,000 votes (6.82%) in the previous Upper House election and 3,362,000 votes (6.16%) in last year’s general election.
In the constituency races, we are pleased that Kira Yoshiko secured a third term in the Tokyo district, thanks to the dedicated efforts of JCP members and supporters in Tokyo, as well as the continued support from people across the country since the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June. However, in the Kyoto and Saitama constituencies, we were unable to prevail in the fierce contests and consequently lost the incumbent seats.
The outcome for the JCP is deeply disappointing and regrettable. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who supported us by casting their votes, as well as to the supporters, volunteers, and party members who made tireless efforts despite the scorching summer heat. We sincerely apologize for failing to deliver results that met your expectations.
We will sincerely reflect on opinions from both inside and outside the party, draw firm lessons at the upcoming Central Committee plenum, and put them to full use in the next national election campaign—with a strong determination to make a comeback.
(2)
The overall outcome of the election—reducing the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Komei Party to a minority in the House of Councillors, following their setback in last year’s Lower House election—is, in itself, a significant and positive development in Japanese politics.
The JCP set as its central goal to make this House of Councillors election one that would reduce the LDP-Komei alliance to a minority in the chamber and open the way to ending LDP-led politics. The JCP confronted LDP politics head-on and carried out the campaign by presenting responsible and concrete alternatives. Aiming to further advance the collaboration between citizens and opposition parties, the JCP helped unify candidates in 17 single-member districts across the country, achieving victories in 12 of them. These efforts contributed to delivering a clear verdict against the LDP-Komei coalition. Defending the “All Okinawa” seat in the Okinawa constituency was a significant victory for the ongoing as well as associated future struggles in Okinawa.
On the other hand, it is a serious development that the LDP’s complementary forces, as well as xenophobic and far-right movements that peddle discrimination against foreigners, have gained both seats and votes. These movements, together with certain media outlets that fueled the notion that the election hinged on the rise and fall of specific parties aligned with such ideologies, played a harmful role in obscuring the real issues of the election and exerted significant pressure that hampered our party’s advance. At the same time, our party’s unwavering stance in confronting this reactionary trend has earned renewed trust among those who are deeply concerned about the current situation. We will continue to confront head-on the dangers posed by the complementary forces, xenophobic rhetoric, and far-right extremism—standing unwaveringly for equality, human rights, and democracy.
At the root of the rising tide of xenophobia lie deep hardships in daily life and a pervasive sense of political stagnation. We are committed to intensifying our efforts to respond to the demands of those who seek a way out of these conditions—including people who have been influenced by xenophobic rhetoric—and to offer a clear and hopeful path forward.
On the one hand, the LDP-Komei coalition has fallen into a minority position; on the other, dangerous reactionary forces are on the rise. Japanese politics now stands at a major historical crossroads, and a period of significant political turbulence is anticipated. The JCP’s role is more important than ever as it confronts head-on the LDP-Komei government, its auxiliary forces, and the xenophobic and far-right currents, while striving for political transformation. At this critical moment, what Japanese politics needs is a party that refuses to be swayed by the current of the times and upholds principled positions. Fully aware of this responsibility, we are determined to make every effort, together with the general public, to advance a “new political process” aimed at seeking and building an alternative to LDP politics.
(3)
The JCP's policy appeals in the Upper House election were pioneering and aligned with the wishes of the public. These included reducing the consumption tax alongside responsible funding measures, promoting wage increases through political action, halting the collapse of medical and nursing care systems and expanding social security budgets, and opposing the large-scale military buildup while pursuing peace in East Asia through diplomacy.
As the JCP has emphasized throughout the election campaign, the only way to overcome the crises in people's livelihoods and establish lasting peace, and to break through the political deadlock, is to advance reforms that correct the “two distortions” of LDP politics: its prioritization of big business interests and its subordination to the United States. With firm conviction, we will actively engage in Diet deliberations and parliamentary work, organize movements across all sectors to meet public demands, and make every effort to fulfill the pledges made during the election campaign.
(4)
What we have come to keenly realize through this election campaign is that, in order to advance the “new political process” in which the people are seeking and exploring alternatives to LDP politics, we must fundamentally strengthen our party’s capabilities—both in quality and in scale.
We are determined to further strengthen our efforts to respond to the sincere aspirations of the people, while fundamentally reinforcing our study of the JCP Program, the Party Constitution, scientific socialism, and the history of the JCP. Our aim is to build a stronger and larger party—both in quality and quantity—that can continue to make progress under any political turbulence. We will firmly uphold this as the most important lesson from the painful setback this time around in the Upper House election and will strive forward with renewed resolve.
