Candidates practically assured of being voted into the House of Representatives in Sunday's general election include Harumi Yoshida, a never-before-elected candidate from the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan who ran against Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Nobuteru Ishihara.
She was set to win in Tokyo Constituency No. 8, defeating the former LDP secretary general who had been elected there 10 times. Ishihara has also served as economic revitalization minister and environment minister.
In the 2017 lower house election, which Ishihara won by about 23,000 votes over Yoshida, candidates from Kibo no To (Party of Hope) and the Japanese Communist Party also ran, spreading the votes across the opposition parties.
This time, the JCP withdrew its candidate in cooperation with the CDPJ.
This opposition tactic also appeared to work in Chiba Constituency No. 8 with Satoshi Honjo, another never-before-elected CDPJ candidate, projected to defeat LDP lawmaker Yoshitaka Sakurada, who was aiming to win his eighth term there. Sakurada joined a cabinet for the first time in 2018 as minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, but was effectively replaced due to a gaffe over Great East Japan Earthquake-related reconstruction.
In Kagawa Constituency No. 1, CDPJ lawmaker Junya Ogawa was assured of winning in a tight race against LDP lawmaker Takuya Hirai, who was appointed as digital minister in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Goshi Hosono, the former Democratic Party of Japan secretary general who is now an independent, looked set to grab his eighth victory in Shizuoka Constituency No. 5, beating LDP lawmaker Takeru Yoshikawa among other candidates. In 2019, Hosono became a special member of the LDP faction led by Toshihiro Nikai, while remaining independent, in order to join the LDP. However, the ruling party's branch opposed Hosono's move. Consequently, the local branch fielded Yoshikawa, a member of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's faction.
As expected, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is assured of retaining his seat in Yamaguchi Constituency No. 4 and LDP Vice President Taro Aso was set to win in Fukuoka Constituency No. 8.
Results for the proportional representation blocs were still pending amid early returns late Sunday night.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
