Key Facts
• Komeito and Communist Party faced significant losses in the July 2025 Upper House election.
• Komeito won only 8 seats, its lowest since its 1964 founding, missing its 14-seat goal.
• Komeito’s proportional votes dropped to 5.21 million, down from 7.57 million in 2013.
• 70% of Komeito’s support base is aged 50 or older, with 35% aged 70+.
• Efforts to attract younger voters via social media yielded minimal results (6% aged 18–29).
• Communist Party’s seats fell from 7 to 3, with proportional votes dropping 20% to 2.86 million.
• Communist Party membership halved from 500,000 in 1990 to 250,000 in 2024.
• Subscriptions to the Communist Party’s newspaper, Akahata, fell from 3.55 million in 1980 to 850,000 in 2024.
• Rising parties like the Democratic Party for the People and Reiwa Shinsengumi gained traction.
• Leadership of both parties acknowledged challenges of aging support bases and voter shifts.
Summary
Japan’s Komeito and Communist Party suffered historic losses in the July 2025 Upper House election, highlighting the challenges of aging support bases and the rise of new political forces. Komeito secured only 8 seats, its lowest since 1964, with proportional votes dropping significantly. Similarly, the Communist Party’s seats fell to 3, with membership and newspaper subscriptions in steep decline. Both parties struggled to attract younger voters, while emerging parties gained momentum. Leadership from both sides emphasized the need for strategic shifts to address these challenges.
