DPJ bloc gains Upper House majority

A parliamentary group led by the Democratic Party of Japan on Wednesday clinched a majority in the Upper House, which will enable it to pass bills without support from the Social Democratic Party, a junior coalition partner.

Gotaro Yoshimura, an Upper House member who left the Liberal Democratic Party, joined the People's New Party, a junior coalition partner and a member of the DPJ-led parliamentary bloc.

The SDP's five Upper House members form their own parliamentary group.

The DPJ-led group now has 122 members in the 242-seat Upper House. The DPJ controls a majority in the Lower House on its own.

Yoshimura is the sixth Upper House member of the People's New Party.

Kotaro Tamura, another former LDP Upper House member, joined the DPJ earlier this month.