Tokyo, Japan - Recent Japan's ruling coalition may have to make concessions to opposition parties as it strives to regain public trust after losing its grip on the lower house, said a Japanese expert while commenting on the country's ruling bloc election setback. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito fell short of the majority threshold in the general election for the first time in 15 years, bringing political uncertainty to an economy that is already facing an array of challenges. The LDP and Komeito won 215 of the 465 seats in the powerful chamber of parliament following Sunday's election, below the 233 seats needed for a majority. The LDP alone won 191 seats, far fewer than the 247 seats it held prior to the election. Uchiyama Yu, a professor of political science at the University of Tokyo, said that at present, the opposition parties most likely to cooperate with the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito are the Japan Innovation Party and the Democratic Party for the People. However, both parties previously stated that they will not form a formal alliance with the ruling parties. Uchiyama said that they may ultimately support the LDP's policies through an informal alliance on specific policy measures. The professor also noted the possibility of a "short-term government" in the future, suggesting Japan could see even a change in prime minister every year, potentially weakening the country in terms of foreign affairs. Moving forward, he said, the most critical issue for both the ruling and opposition parties in Japan will be how effectively they can respond to the voices of the Japanese people and earn their trust. Shotlist: Tokyo, Japan - Recent: FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown 1. Aerial shot of cityscape; 2. Various of pedestrians, buildings; Tokyo, Japan - Recent 3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Uchiyama Yu, professor of political science, University of Tokyo (partially overlaid with shots 4-5): "In terms of economy, for the Liberal Democratic Party to seek cooperation from opposition parties, it may implement policies aligned with the opposition's preferences. The opposition parties are primarily focused on subsidies and allowances for low-income groups and are calling for increased spending in these areas. Therefore, a significant increase in fiscal spending is expected, resulting in pork barrel policies that require substantial funding. At the same time, implementing such an economic policy would raise concerns about fiscal deficits. Therefore, finding a balance between measures to address rising prices and managing fiscal deficits is crucial."; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Aug 14, 2024 4. Various of Liberal Democratic Party headquarters, signs, security personnel; FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown 5. National Diet building; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Tokyo, Japan - Recent 6. Various of National Diet building, Japanese national flag; Tokyo, Japan - Recent 7. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Uchiyama Yu, professor of political science, University of Tokyo (partially overlaid with shot 8): "If Shigeru Ishiba remains as the prime minister, the coalition government of the LDP and Komeito will face the challenge of how to restore the public's trust in politics. I am very surprised that the public's trust in the LDP has diminished to such an extent. It was truly unexpected that the LDP and Komeito would lose so badly. This also reflects the deep anger of the people towards political issues. This is a very serious situation."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown 8. Various of National Diet building; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Tokyo, Japan - Recent 9. Various of pedestrians. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]