News

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) won two extra seats in the House of Councillors on Sunday in the first national-level elections since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama formed his Cabinet.

DPJ candidate Yoichi Kaneko, 47, surpassed three other candidates to win a by-election in Kanagawa Prefecture, while Hirokazu Tsuchida, 59, another DPJ candidate, won a Shizuoka by-election.

The results indicate that the DPJ has been able to maintain the strong standing it held in the House of Representatives election in August, when it scored a landslide victory. The opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) fielded two candidates, but they were unable to overcome the DPJ contenders -- a fact that throws cold water on LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki's efforts to revive the party.

With the by-election wins, the DPJ now has 115 of the 242 seats in the Upper House, including Upper House President Satsuki Eda. A major DPJ-led faction in the house now has 120 members, just two away from a simple majority. In next summer's House of Councillors election, 53 DPJ seats, including those of Kaneko and Tsuchida, will be up for re-election.

On Sunday, a gubernatorial election was held in Miyagi Prefecture, while mayoral elections were held in cities including Kawasaki, Kobe and Nagano. In Kobe, one incumbent DPJ-backed candidate was elected for a third term, but in Miyagi Prefecture and in Kawasaki and Nagano, DPJ-backed newcomers were overcome by incumbents.