By Anadolu staff
Japanese living in Taiwan on Friday began voting early for the upcoming upper house election, marking the first time polling stations for Japanese nationals were established on the island.
About 21,000 Japanese nationals live in Taiwan, with approximately 16,000 of them eligible to vote. They can vote in Taipei and Kaohsiung until July 14, before the main election day on July 20, according to the Kyodo News Agency.
Previously, Japanese citizens in Taiwan had to travel back to Japan or vote by mail to participate in national elections.
Japan has joined countries like South Korea and Australia in allowing in-person voting for its citizens living in Taiwan through its de facto diplomatic mission on the island.
Official campaigning for Japan's House of Councilors, or upper house of the Diet, began on Thursday and is viewed as a critical test for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's minority government in the face of rising living costs.
The 17-day campaign will decide whether the embattled ruling coalition can keep its majority in the chamber by winning at least 50 of the 125 seats up for grabs.
A total of 519 candidates have registered across electoral districts and proportional representation, with 152 women candidates accounting for nearly 30%, the second-highest female representation on record.
The upper house, which has 248 members and holds elections every three years to fill approximately half of its seats, will vote on July 20.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid