Japan's minority government faces tough test in upper house election

From left to right: Sanseito Secretary General Sohei Kamiya, Japanese Communist Party Chairperson Tomoko Tamura, Komeito Chief Representative Tetsuo Saito, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda, Japan's Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party leader Shigeru Ishiba, Japan Innovation Party Co-Representative Hirofumi Yoshimura and Democratic Party For the People Representative Yuichiro Tamaki and Reiwa Shinsengumi leader Taro Yamamoto.) The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, or CDPJ, and the surging Democratic Party for the People, or DPP, as well as an emerging right-wing populist Sanseito have significantly gained ground. The rice crisis cost Ishiba's government one farm minister, but the replacement, Shinjiro Koizumi, took rapid and bold measures including the unprecedented release of emergency reserves that brought the staple back to normal prices, just in time for the election.