Tokyo, Japan - Recent The leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shigeru Ishiba, who was reinstated for a second term as Japan's prime minister on Monday, faces the urgent task of navigating a complex domestic landscape marked by economic strains, public frustration over inflation, and tough negotiations with opposition parties, according to a Japanese scholar. The Japanese Diet convened an extraordinary session on Monday afternoon to choose the new prime minister. As the ruling LDP coalition with Komeito lost its long-held majority in the general election last month, the vote went to a runoff between Ishiba and the leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party Yoshihiko Noda as none of the candidates gained an outright majority. In the runoff voting, the first in 30 years for the House of Representatives, 67-year-old Ishiba received 221 votes, outperforming Noda's 160 to become the country's 103rd prime minister despite falling short of the 233 majority threshold. Ishiba took office as the country's 102nd prime minister in early October and promptly called a snap election, aiming to solidify his position. But instead of a strengthened mandate, he faced a significant setback as voters, frustrated by rising inflation and a slush fund scandal, handed the ruling bloc its worst result since 2009. The LDP and Komeito got a total of 215 of the 465 seats in the powerful chamber of parliament, below the 233 seats needed for the majority. The LDP alone won 191 seats, much less than the 247 seats it held prior to the election. In contrast, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party significantly increased its representation, rising from 98 seats before the election to 148 seats. In an exclusive interview with China Central Television, Shiratori Hiroshi, political science professor at Hosei University in Tokyo, pointed out that the smooth operation of Japan’s political system is now under threat. Hiroshi pointed out that if Japan's political landscape proves unstable under a minority government in the future, its domestic and foreign affairs may be affected. Shotlist: Tokyo, Japan - Recent: 1. Various of National Diet building; 2. National flag of Japan; Tokyo, Japan - Nov 11, 2024 3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shiratori Hiroshi, political science professor, Hosei University (partially overlaid with shots 4-6): "Shigeru Ishiba was elected as prime minister by the House of Representatives without obtaining a majority of the seats because he secured the most votes. This can be somewhat understood as a result of the failure of opposition parties to unite. They are internally divided. In the future, if the ruling party faces another major scandal, Ishiba, not having a majority in the House of Representatives, could potentially face a swift downfall if the opposition parties unite. A vote of no confidence in the cabinet could be raised at any time, leading to overtime play in the political game. It can be said that the operation of the political power is in a precarious state. Facing an extremely unstable situation, the government needs to carry out tough political operations in the midst of these perilous circumstances."; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown 4. Various of National Diet building, national flag; 5. Sign reading "National Diet Main Gate"; 6. Japanese national flag; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Aug 14, 2024 7. Various of Liberal Democratic Party headquarters, signs, security personnel; Tokyo, Japan - Nov 11, 2024 8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shiratori Hiroshi, political science professor, Hosei University (partially overlaid with shot 9): "An extremely unstable prime minister is likely unable to take on a leadership role in the country's economic development. Doubts arise regarding whether a prime minister with shaky support can convey powerful messages in diplomatic negotiations. Conversely, foreign countries might question whether agreements reached with this prime minister will hold in the future in Japan, or they may perceive that even if negotiations are successful now, the prime minister may soon resign, making the Japanese government an unreliable negotiating partner. This could potentially have a significant negative impact on various diplomatic strategies in Japan in the future."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Aug 14, 2024 9. Various of Liberal Democratic Party headquarters, signs, security personnel; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Tokyo, Japan - Recent 10. Various of traffic, pedestrians. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]