Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party received a welcome boost Sunday night as four of five LDP-affiliated or -supported candidates won key by-elections — though Kishida poured cold water on talk of a snap poll.
Although the LDP fared better than predicted, a close look at the election numbers shows that some victories were narrow, and that public confidence in the Kishida administration may not be as strong as the final results would suggest.
The four Lower House elections and one Upper House contest were seen as crucial tests of Kishida’s popularity. There had been talk that he might call a snap election sometime after the Group of Seven leaders meeting in the city of Hiroshima next month.