Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba [Reuters Yonhap News file photo. Reproduction and database prohibited]

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has stated his intention to continue governing, even amidst expectations of a defeat for the ruling party in the Upper House election held on the 20th.

Appearing on NHK after the exit polls were announced late on the 20th, Prime Minister Ishiba said, "I humbly and seriously accept the difficult circumstances," but added, "We must be aware of our responsibility to the nation."

When asked about whether he would continue to lead the government, he responded, "We must be aware of our responsibility as the largest party. We must fulfill our responsibility."

Regarding the future expansion of the coalition government, he indicated that a decision would be made later, stating, "The number of seats has not yet been determined."

Prime Minister Ishiba also appeared on NTV, emphasizing, "We must fulfill our responsibility to Japan," while mentioning challenges such as security, addressing demographic issues, and US-Japan trade negotiations.

Specifically, when asked if stepping down, becoming an opposition party, or resigning were options, he clearly stated, "That is not the case."

Immediately after the polls closed at 8 p.m. on the 20th, NHK released its exit poll results, predicting that the ruling party would struggle to achieve its goal of maintaining a majority in the Upper House.

NHK projected that in the 125 seats up for election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party would win only 27-41 seats, and its coalition partner, Komeito, would secure just 5-12 seats.

The Asahi Shimbun also reported its own exit poll, which predicted that the LDP would win around 34 seats and Komeito around 7 seats.

Ultimately, according to the exit poll results from Japanese media, it appears unlikely that the ruling party will secure the 50 seats they aimed for to maintain their majority in this election.

Yonhap News