The Yomiuri Shimbun’s nationwide public opinion poll (conducted on Jan. 25–27) asked respondents how they would vote in the proportional representation segment of the Upper House election to be held this summer. Some 40% of respondents said they plan to vote for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), making it the most frequently given response. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) was next at 12%, followed by the Japanese Communist Party at 5%, Komeito at 4%, and Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) at 2%. Some 26% of pollees said they are “undecided” about how they will cast their ballot.

In the January 2016 poll taken prior to the last Upper House election, in which the ruling parties of the LDP and Komeito enjoyed a landslide victory, 37% of pollees said they would cast their ballot for the LDP and 13% said they would vote for the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition party at that time. Some 22% said they were “undecided.”

In the recent poll, independents were split, with 16% saying they will vote for the LDP in the proportional representation segment and 14% selecting the CDPJ. Some 45% said that they are “undecided.” Independents made up about 40% of all respondents.

Some 45% said that “it would be good if the ruling parties continued to hold a majority of the seats” in the Upper House as a result of this summer’s election, while 40% thought otherwise. Some 51% said “it would be good if the opposition parties, including the CDPJ, fielded joint candidates as much as possible in the local constituency segment of the Upper House election, while 31% thought such a move is not necessary.