Harumi Yoshida holds up a bouquet given by her supporters after she was projected to win in the House of Representatives election, in Tokyo's Suginami Ward, on Oct. 31, 2021. (Mainichi/Tsutomu Kobayashi)

       TOKYO -- Harumi Yoshida, a specially appointed university professor, secured a seat in the Tokyo No. 8 constituency on a Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan ticket in the Oct. 31 House of Representatives election, beating long-serving representative Nobuteru Ishihara of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

       Ishihara, 64, a former LDP secretary-general who heads his own faction, was first elected in a general election in 1990 when Japan voted in multiple-seat electoral districts as opposed to the current single-seat constituency system. He previously served as land minister and environment minister, among other key positions, and had never lost a lower house race until the latest general election.

       Yoshida, 49, a candidate backed by the united front of opposition forces, had lost to Ishihara in the 2017 general election by 23,580 votes. It is the first time for her to be elected to the Diet.

       Ishihara is also running in the proportional representation bloc on an LDP ticket, meaning he may still win a seat if the LDP secures enough votes as a party.

       (Japanese original by Erina Sato, Tokyo Bureau; Hironori Tsuchie and Kazuhiro Toyama, Tokyo City News Department)

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