(MENAFN) Japanese voters went to the polls Sunday to select 125 members for the upper house of parliament, marking a critical challenge for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s minority ruling coalition.

Over 104 million eligible voters across Japan are deciding who will fill the seats in the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the National Diet.

Of the 125 seats contested, 75 are constituency-based, while the remaining 50 will be allocated through proportional representation.

By 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), turnout reached 6.62%, rising by 0.45 percentage points compared to the 2022 upper house election, according to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, as reported by media.

Polls will close at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT), with election outcomes expected later Sunday evening.

Early voting saw a record 21.4 million citizens, or 20.58% of all registered voters, cast their ballots by Friday.

The ruling coalition, made up of Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior ally Komeito, currently controls 75 seats. To hold a majority in the upper house, they must secure at least 50 of the 125 contested seats.

The LDP last lost its upper house majority in 2007.

This election unfolds amid pressing concerns over inflation, regional security, relations with the United States, foreign policy, and the sustainability of Japan’s strained social security system.

On the campaign’s final day, Ishiba urged the electorate, stating, "If politicians only care about what happens now and themselves, this country will cease to exist."

He added in Tokyo, "We must protect Japan whatever it takes because the next six years are going to be the most difficult ones for Japan and the world."

The upper house is composed of 248 members serving six-year terms, with half of the seats up for election every three years. This year’s vote includes the standard 124 seats plus one additional vacant seat.

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