Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama’s decision to stay on after the ruling LDP-Komeito coalition lost its majority in Sunday's Upper House election is stirring frustration in the LDP amid growing calls for the party's leadership to take responsibility.

Former digital minister Taro Kono, who submitted his resignation as deputy chair of the party’s election committee, has been one of the most vocal critics so far, calling for Moriyama, the party’s executive in charge of elections, to resign.

“Even if the prime minister has a reason to not resign in the middle of tariff talks, it’s absurd that the secretary-general, who is responsible for the election, hasn't resigned yet,” Kono wrote Monday on X. "Unless the party fixes this, the LDP won’t recover."

Kono was referring to ongoing negotiations with the United States over tariffs, with a looming Aug. 1 deadline before the U.S. imposes a 25% "reciprocal" tariff on most goods from Japan.

On Tuesday, Kono — who has held numerous Cabinet posts and made his own bids for the nation's top job — made similar comments on several TV programs, increasing pressure on the party leadership.

Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi also scrutinized Ishiba and Moriyama for giving the fact that the LDP is still the largest party in the Upper House as their reason for staying on, despite the ruling coalition’s failure to secure a majority.

“The prime minister and secretary-general both say the party is still the largest party. But instead of puffing our chests, we should be accepting the heavy truth that we couldn’t achieve the goal of reaching a majority,” Koizumi, who also has prime ministerial ambitions, told reporters Tuesday.

Frustration is brewing among local LDP chapters, as well.

At an emergency meeting Monday, seven members of the LDP’s Kochi prefectural chapter, including Lower House lawmaker Masanao Ozaki and Upper House lawmaker Daisuke Kajihara, decided to submit a request to the party’s headquarters urging Ishiba to step down as LDP president.

“We got together to reflect on the (Upper House) election and came to the conclusion that it would be problematic for Ishiba to stay in power and that he should take responsibility,” a spokesperson said Tuesday.

The LDP’s Ibaraki prefectural chapter also agreed Tuesday to make similar requests for Ishiba to resign.

The party is expected to hold a meeting of all of its members in parliament on July 31 to discuss Sunday’s election outcome. The key focus at the meeting will be whether Ishiba and other party leaders such as Moriyama are able to dispel concerns that members have over their decision to stay on or whether it will become a venue for party members to increase pressure on them to step down.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki also had strong words about Ishiba and Moriyama’s decision to stay on despite the election results.

“In corporate terms, losing all three –– the Lower House election, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election and the Upper House election –– is like being in the red for three quarters straight,” he said Monday. “It is unthinkable for no one to take responsibility when that happens.”