Two Liberal Democratic Party candidates won by-elections in Miyagi and Shiga prefectures Sunday, securing for the LDP a simple majority in the Lower House.

In the race for Miyagi's No. 4 constituency, Shintaro Ito, a 48-year-old university professor, defeated three candidates to fill the vacant seat of his late father, Soichiro, a former speaker of the House of Representatives. Ito died on Sept. 4.

Ito defeated ex-Miyagi Gov. Shuntaro Honma, 61; tax accountant Takashi Yamajo, 38; and Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Toshiro Ono, 52, a senior member of the party's local branch.

Ito received 63,745 votes and Honma scored 48,871.

In Shiga Prefecture, Osamu Konishi, 43, won the seat of the No. 2 constituency left vacant by his elder brother, Akira Konishi of the LDP. Konishi also died, on July 23.

Konishi, who served as secretary for his elder brother, defeated former Shiga Prefectural Assemblyman Issei Tajima, 39, of the Democratic Party of Japan, and Etsuko Narumiya, 56, of the JCP.

The final tally showed Konishi had taken 99,572 votes, compared with 76,154 for Tajima and 15,765 for Narumiya.

The by-elections were the first national-level contest since the Upper House poll in July, when the LDP rolled to victory on the back of its popular new leader Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

During the Miyagi campaign, Ito put his full support behind Koizumi's stated reforms, saying, "I will support the Koizumi reform, adopting new ways that fit the new age." Ito was backed by the LDP's coalition allies -- New Komeito and the New Conservative Party -- and also benefited from the firm support base he inherited from his father.

His opponents included the independent Honma, who served prison time for taking 120 million yen in bribes while governor; Yamajo, who was fielded by the Democratic Party of Japan; and Ono, who ran on the JCP's ticket.

Sunday's developments mean the LDP has secured 241 seats in the 480-seat House of Representatives, followed by the DPJ, the largest opposition force, with 125. With New Komeito and the New Conservative Party holding 31 and seven respectively, the LDP-led coalition now has 279 seats in the powerful chamber. Among other parties, the Liberal Party, the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party hold 22, 20 and 19 seats, respectively.

The LDP's strong showing in Sunday's by-elections may add a new twist to national politics, observers say.

With ever-deepening confidence, Koizumi is expected to accelerate his reform initiatives while trying to, at least superficially, maintain the integrity of his coalition.

But proposals by New Komeito to change the Lower House election system have recently upset many members in Koizumi's LDP.

Both New Komeito and the NCP insist their alliance with the LDP is intact and note that they have solidly supported LDP candidates in previous by-elections.

"New Komeito's importance remains unchanged," a top New Komeito official said, noting the LDP has yet to secure a majority in the Upper House.

Yada victor in Kobe

KOBE (Kyodo) Former Kobe Deputy Mayor Tatsuro Yada defeated four candidates here Sunday to become the city's next mayor.

Yada, who ran as an independent, was supported by the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party.

Yada garnered 209,681 votes, while former Bank of Japan branch chief Shigyo Kimura, 51, came in second with 118,893 votes, followed by former Kobe University professor Junichi Yoshida, 48, with 60,904 votes.

In his campaign, Yada emphasized his experience in administration and called for shifting priority from development to environment and welfare.

Nagano's next mayor

NAGANO (Kyodo) Shoichi Washizawa, a 60-year-old former deputy chief of the Nagano Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cruised to a landslide victory in the mayoral race here Sunday.

Washizawa defeated Mitsuaki Yamaguchi, 62, former chief of Japan Teachers' Union, and three other candidates to replace departing Mayor Tasuku Tsukada, who is retiring after four four-year terms.

Washizawa collected 73,769 votes, compared with 24,410 for runnerup Yamaguchi.