The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito overwhelmingly won in the Upper House election on Sunday and garnered more than a majority of the seats of the Diet chamber, ending a divided Diet.
But the parties should not think that people have given them a carte blanche since they were greatly helped by a low voter turnout of 52.61 percent, lower than the 57.92 percent for the July 2010 Upper House election, and by the fact that votes cast for the opposition forces were divided among many opposition parties.
The low voter turnout indicates that some people have given up hope on politics. In addition, there clearly is a discrepancy between people's opinions on nuclear power generation and constitutional revisions — important issues in the election — and the LDP's stance on these issues. People need to strictly watch whether the Abe administration's policy will actually enhance their well-being and happiness.