— On July 20, Japan heads to the polls to elect 124 members of its Upper House …

🇯🇵🗳📆 — On July 20, Japan heads to the polls to elect 124 members of its Upper House (half of the House of Councillors).

➡️ This election could define the future of Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.

📊 With a minority in the Lower House, the LDP–Komeito coalition is now at risk of losing its Upper House majority too and throwing the government in complete disarray.

🗳 As @/Nihonpolitics explains, Japan’s Upper House election is split into two types of ballots:

🗾 50 seats: Proportional representation, based on nationwide party votes.
🔴 74 seats: District races, where candidates compete regionally.
❗️ Each vote matters; the two systems reveal different political dynamics and offer different opportunities, as parties emphasize one over the other.

⁉️ Why does the PR vote matter so much in the Upper House Election?

Because it:

✅ Sets each party’s national baseline.
✅ Often rewards new or protest parties.
✅ Can signal major political shifts ahead of time.

🔗 Japanese Politics 🇯🇵🗾⛩ (@Nihonpolitics)