Prime Minister remains in office despite "hard blow" to the elections

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday he will remain in power after his ruling party lost its majority in the upper house of parliament in Sunday's elections, a new political setback.

"We continue to be the party with the largest representation. Despite the harsh blow and the many difficulties, many people strongly supported us," Ishiba said at a press conference, stating that the decision to remain in office was due to the global political situation and the "difficult conditions" the country is facing. In this regard, the leader highlighted the imposition of customs tariffs on Japan by the United States , inflation, and the fear that a strong earthquake or natural disaster could hit the country at some point.

Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito, which needed to win 50 seats in addition to the 75 they already held to maintain a majority, secured 47. They were three seats short of a majority, a 19-seat decline from their pre-election tally. The defeat is another blow to Ishiba's coalition, leaving it in the minority in both chambers following its defeat in the lower house elections in October , and exacerbating Japan's political instability.

It was the first time the LDP-led coalition had lost its majority in both houses of parliament since the party's formation in 1955. Asked about the possibility of expanding the coalition to include other opposition parties, Ishiba said he had no intention of doing so at this time and asserted that the LDP "must be responsible and develop policies."

The official also ruled out the possibility of a government reshuffle . "We will seriously consult with other parties and discuss responsibility and continue with our policies on tariffs and disasters," he added.

Among opposition parties, the left-liberal Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) came in second with 22 seats, while the reformist People's Democratic Party (PDP) came in third with 17.

The surprise was the far-right Japanese nationalist party Sanseito , which, under the slogan "Japan First", emerged as one of the big winners in Sunday's elections, winning 14 seats and becoming the third-largest opposition party.