Shigeru Ishiba, who had been serving as Prime Minister for less than a month, faced the most embarrassing start. On the evening of the day, Japan's 49th House of Representatives election began voting, with 1,000 candidates vying for 465 seats in the House of Representatives. The final election results showed that although the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won the most seats, the ruling coalition with the Komeito Party only secured 230 seats, failing to exceed half of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives. As a result, the LDP lost its advantage of maintaining a majority of seats on its own since 1996 in every House of Representatives election. This undoubtedly marks another "political tsunami" following the series of "political earthquakes" triggered by the LDP's "black gold" scandal, with the impact waves continuing to accumulate.

The LDP Suffers a "Waterloo". Looking back at the recent performance of the LDP, it can be said that crises and challenges have been constant. The fastest dissolution of the House of Representatives since World War II. Shigeru Ishiba officially took office as the Prime Minister of Japan on a certain date, and within days, he swiftly dissolved the House of Representatives. In less than a month, a general election was completed, marking the fastest House of Representatives election conducted by a Japanese Prime Minister since World War II.

The recent election performance has been the worst in recent years. Although the LDP still maintains its position as the largest party, the ruling coalition formed with the Komeito failed to secure a majority of seats. Therefore, it will inevitably face numerous difficulties in advancing legislation and policy agendas in the future. Regarding speculation that LDP President Shigeru Ishiba might resign due to this, Ishiba has explicitly stated that he will not resign and currently has no thoughts on forming a coalition government. He will humbly accept various policy opinions and engage in consultations. However, regardless of how the situation develops, the ruling foundation of the LDP will be severely weakened.

The LDP, plagued by a serious illness. In fact, the LDP's disastrous performance in this election could have been foreseen. The "black gold" scandal continues to escalate. At the end of last year, a large number of LDP members of the National Diet were exposed for concealing political funds rebates, and the adverse impact has persisted until now. This not only exposed the systemic corruption within the LDP but also reflected the arrogance that has developed from its long-term governance. However, neither Kishida Fumio nor Ishiba Shigeru demonstrated the courage and determination for radical self-reform in their indecisive handling of the "black gold" scandal, causing many citizens to lose trust in the LDP.

Economic and livelihood dissatisfaction intensifies. More fatal is that on the economic and livelihood issues that the Japanese people care about the most, the performance of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) government is equally disappointing. Facing the grim reality of persistently rising prices, increasing wealth disparity, and unprecedentedly severe situations of both low birth rates and an aging population, the LDP government is helpless and inactive. The economic policy of the Kishida administration focuses on raising income levels, but the wage growth of the Japanese people far lags behind the speed of price increases and yen depreciation. Eventually, the public realized that Japan's "lost years" are largely due to the LDP government's lack of determination and ability to drive deep-level reforms, constantly revolving around short-term stimulus plans and utilitarian policies, leading to an intractable impasse in Japan's economic and social development. The accumulation of long-term dissatisfaction, coupled with the outbreak of the "black gold" scandal, directly led to the LDP's major defeat in this election.

A major reshuffle in Japan's political arena. The results of this House of Representatives election will have a significant impact on the political landscape and ecosystem of Japan. From a "one-party dominance" to a "two-strong, many-weak" scenario. Since its establishment, except for two brief periods out of power, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has consistently held the ruling position, long dominating Japan's political scene. Entering the 21st century, Japan intended to emulate the United States and the United Kingdom in establishing a two-party system, with the Democratic Party gradually rising from the split of the LDP and the old Socialist Party. In the 2009 House of Representatives election, the Democratic Party toppled the LDP led by Taro Aso, taking power for the first time. However, during its three years in office, the Democratic Party's domestic and foreign policies caused numerous confusions, eventually being ousted by the resurgent LDP led by Shinzo Abe. It was through the LDP's comeback in the 2012 House of Representatives election that it re-established its position as the dominant party. In this election, the Constitutional Democratic Party won 55 seats, becoming the second-largest party after the LDP. The leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoshihiko Noda, revealed plans to vie for the position of the new prime minister. With the shifting power between the LDP and the Constitutional Democratic Party, Japan's political landscape is at a significant turning point, and the ruling and opposition parties are bound to undergo a new round of differentiation and reorganization, likely returning to a two-party competition.

Political tendencies have further shifted to the right. In this election, apart from the Japanese Communist Party (seats) and the Social Democratic Party (seats), which maintained a handful of seats, all other seats were won by right-wing parties, solidifying the dominance of right-wing conservative forces in Japan's political landscape. Notably, the political group "Conservative Party," led by right-wing writer Naoki Hyakuta and politician Takashi Kawamura, secured seats in its first national election. The party's policy propositions are marked by extreme nationalism and xenophobia, gaining favor among Japan's extreme right-wing conservative groups, including "netto uyoku." Despite losing the previous presidential election to Shigeru Ishiba, right-wing leader Sanae Takaichi of the LDP was highly popular during this campaign and won easily. There are also calls for the extreme right-wing forces within the LDP to merge with right-wing forces such as the opposition Conservative Party and coalition parties. Against the backdrop of the overall conservative and rightward shift in Japanese societal thought, right-wing political forces may further consolidate, potentially compelling the Japanese government to adopt even more right-leaning and conservative domestic and foreign policies.

National disappointment is accelerating. The voter turnout in this Japanese House of Representatives election was only %. Analysis suggests that Japanese people originally supported the long-term governance of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) primarily because they valued the LDP's effective leadership during Japan's economic rise after World War II. However, after the burst of the bubble economy in the 1990s, public support for the LDP fluctuated, leading to its two periods out of power. After experiencing the "nightmare" of three years under the Constitutional Democratic Party's governance, Japanese people still tend to support the more experienced and talent-rich LDP. Nevertheless, the "black gold" scandal has once again pushed public disappointment with politics to a new high. Many people have ultimately found that both the opposition parties and the LDP are "half a pound of the other," and neither party can be relied upon. Rather than a lack of trust in the LDP, it is the accelerating spread of disappointment and dissatisfaction with politics within Japanese society that is having a significant impact on the political landscape. Currently, the LDP's path to governance is fraught with crises, and if not handled properly, Shigeru Ishiba could become another "short-lived prime minister," and Japan's political situation could fall into a continuous period of turmoil.