(Update) Voting Underway in Japan's Upper House Election

   Tokyo, July 20 (Jiji Press)--Voting is underway on Sunday in an election for Japan's House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, a poll that could affect the fate of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who leads a minority government.
   The main focus is whether Ishiba's ruling coalition will keep control of the Upper House after the bloc lost its majority in the House of Representatives, the lower parliamentary chamber, in an election in October.
   About 45,000 polling stations across the country opened at 7 a.m. Voting is set to end 8 at p.m., except in some areas, with a rough outcome expected to be known late at night.
   Voter turnout as of 10 a.m. stood at 6.62 pct, up 0.45 percentage point from the previous Upper House election in 2022, the internal affairs ministry said. About 21.45 million people, or some 20 pct of all eligible voters, cast their ballots for electoral districts by Friday under the early voting system.
   In the 248-seat Upper House, 125 seats--75 in electoral districts and 50 for proportional representation--are contested in the election, in which 522 candidates--350 in electoral districts and 172 for proportional representation, ran.

(2025/07/20-11:53)

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