Sapporo –
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), which swept a total of 148 seats in the Oct. 27 Lower House election, did particularly well in Hokkaido, winning nine of its 12 districts and picking up three proportional seats.
But the victories have raised questions about what they might mean for the future of the Rapidus 2-nanometer semiconductor plant, which had long been backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, including Hokkaido-based members defeated by CDP candidates.
One of the biggest upsets in Hokkaido was in the 5th district. The CDP’s Maki Ikeda defeated LDP incumbent Yoshiaki Wada. Wada, a senior defense ministry official under former prime minister Fumio Kishida, is considered a defense expert and key supporter of Rapidus.