Corruption teaches LDP a lesson in Japan polls

Relations with the US will be Japan's priority, and stabilizing China-Japan relations is good for Japan's economy, so the impact from the election results on his foreign policies might be limited. The LDP is still a conservative right-wing party, so we can't expect too much from the Ishiba administration,

Lü noted

Corruption in the LDP is a long-existing problem, and the reason why Japanese voters choose not to tolerate this problem anymore is that the LDP also failed to prove its capability in solving economic problems,

said Lü Yaodong, deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Without a majority in the lower house, the efficiency of the government and the reforms based on the prime minister's ideas will be greatly undermined. Ishiba is unlikely to step down soon, as he was just elected and could not be held accountable for the long-existing problem of corruption within the LDP,

the expert noted

It just comes down to the fact that they didn’t deal with it properly. And now they’re facing the consequences,

said Rintaro Nishimura, a political analyst for The Asia Group

With all the attention on largely domestic issues, Japan’s international profile may weaken,

Uchiyama said

It really comes down to politics to see who can give up more but not give out too much,

Nishimura said

As we face a severe security and economic environment, we cannot let politics stall,

Ishiba said

The public's criticisms against the slush funds scandal has intensified, and it won't go away easily,

said Izuru Makihara, a University of Tokyo professor of politics and public policy

If they take power and try to change the economic and diplomatic policies of the current government, they will only end up collapsing right away,

Makihara said

We accomplished our goal of preventing the ruling coalition from a majority, which was a major achievement,

Noda said

The results so far have been extremely severe, and we take them very seriously,

Ishiba told Japan's national NHK television late Sunday

I think the outcome was a result of people across Japan wanting to change the current situation,

said voter Takako Sasaki, 44

As long as our own lives don't improve, I think everyone has given up on the idea that we can expect anything from politicians,

restaurant worker Masakazu Ikeuchi, 44, told AFP on Monday in rainy Tokyo

Obviously that is going to be difficult and time-consuming, but as the opposition is not united, it is still a chance for the LDP to stay in power,

he added

I have been hearing that the LDP intends to carry on, even if it does not have a majority, and will work with parties individually to pass legislation on a case-by-case basis,

Murakami said

It is clear that the electorate is deeply frustrated and angry over the scandal of LDP politicians amassing huge slush funds,

said Hiromi Murakami, a professor of political science at the Tokyo campus of Temple University

To say that people were disappointed would be a huge understatement,

Murakami told DW

After the tragic death of [former Prime Minister] Shinzo Abe, my impression has been that the LDP has become more liberal,

he told DW

Lawmakers aligned with [former Prime Minister Shinzo] Abe were cold-shouldered under Ishiba, so they could potentially pounce on the opportunity to take their revenge,

Yu Uchiyama, political science professor at the University of Tokyo, told the AFP news agency

I will enact fundamental reform regarding the issue of money and politics,

Ishiba stressed, repeating