Japan’s ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's LDP and Komeito, suffered historic losses in the July 20 upper house election, relinquishing its majority for the first time since 1955. Voters, frustrated by inflation and political scandals, handed the LDP and Komeito a combined defeat—losing 13 and six seats respectively—leaving them three seats short of control in the 248-seat chamber. The setback adds to political instability, compounding last year’s lower house loss, and will force Ishiba to seek support from smaller parties or strike issue-by-issue alliances to pass legislation.Ishiba's leadership is undr pressure. he'll meet with party heavyweights Aso and former PM Kishida on Wednesday, 23 July 2025. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.