Victories for the Democratic Party of Japan in Sunday's Upper House by-elections in Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures show that the party is still enjoying solid support some 40 days after the inauguration of the DPJ-led government. The elections were the first Diet-level elections since the Aug. 30 Lower House election.
Sunday's results also show that the Liberal Democratic Party, which was routed in the Lower House election, failed to seize its first opportunity to regain some lost ground.
With the latest wins, DPJ members now number 115 in the 242-seat Upper House, seven short of a majority. The number could serve as a springboard for the party's efforts to gain control of the chamber in the full Upper House election next summer so that it doesn't have to rely on help from other forces.