The Central Executive Committee of the New Japan Women’s Association issued on July 23 a statement on the result of the House of Councillors Election.
Resisting Discrimination and Division, Let Us Fight to Defend Our Livelihoods and Democracy Together with New Colleagues
July 23, 2025
New Japan Women’s Association
Central Executive Committee
In the House of Councillors election held on July 20, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Kome Party lost their majority in the Upper House, following their setback in last fall’s Lower House Election. New Japan Women’s Association (Shinfujin) has been taking actions based on women’s earnest demands for an end to LDP politics and a new politics to replace it. Many victories achieved in single-seat constituencies where the opposition parties united are a source of confidence, and the success in defending the “All Okinawa” seat in the Okinawa constituency was of great significance for future struggles.
At the same time, it is grave that the National Democratic Party, which has shown itself to be a complementary force to the ruling party, as well as Sanseito, a party that inflames misogyny, discrimination against foreigners and various kinds of division among citizens by spreading falsehoods, increased their votes and seats in the Diet. In the election, an abnormal situation unfolded. Public attention was distracted from the critical issues such as consumption tax rate cut, surging prices of commodities and rice, as well as the record 8.7 trillion-yen military spending which destroys our lives. Furthermore, statements such as “nuclear armament is the cheapest option” and reference to “conscription,” along with discriminatory and xenophobic hate speeches have spread out from the political arena. Although the pro-constitutional amendment forces had held two-thirds of the seats in the Upper House in the past, we cannot overlook the fact that more conservative forces, including far-right, secured seats in this election.
The New Japan Women’s Association members together with many women from all over the country have carried out urgent protest actions against the remarks by Sanseito leader Kamiya Souhei to push motherhood above all. Holding signs such as “I decide how I live” and “Discrimination and division lead to war, ” women organized protects at more than 200 locations in 47 prefectures. Younger generation and many other people came forward to join the protests and we were able to welcome new members into our association. The New Japan Women’s Association strongly urges the media to report these actions and conduct thorough fact-checking of falsehoods.
Japanese politics is now at a major historical crossroads. At the root of this exclusionism is the increase of non-regular employment, the impoverishment of people’s lives, and a sense of stagnation with no clear future in sight. In order to end the long-standing LDP politics that prioritize big businesses’ interests and its subordination to the United States, and realize politics in which the Constitution is fully implemented, New Japan Women’s Association will expand its actions and broad-based collaboration in response to earnest and varied demands. In so doing, we will welcome many more new members. Most of all, we express our determination to exert all our strength in the elimination of nuclear weapons, opposition to the Constitutional revision and prevention of the revival of militarism, and for achieving gender equality, which constitute the starting point of our founding.
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