Japan’s election for the House of Councilors (Upper House) will take place on July 20, in which 125 of its 248 seats will be contested. After losing their majority in the House of Representatives in last fall’s election, the ruling coalition, comprised of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito Party, faces a high-stakes race, in which they need to win at least 50 seats to secure their majority. The results of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June did not bode well for the LDP. The test also comes at a time when Japan needs strong political leadership to effectively manage its relations with the United States and exercise global leadership as significant shifts take place in US foreign policy.

To assess the outcomes of this election, JCIE USA will host a private online discussion with three experts from Japan and the United States. In addition to providing an overview of the results in terms of voter turnout, political parties, and women’s political participation, etc. the discussion will seek to identify key factors that came into play and the implications for Japan’s future political leadership and US-Japan relations.