House of Councillors elections were held in Japan on July 29, 2007. The date was originally to be July 22, but the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decided in mid-June to extend the session of the House for a week to finish up legislative business; this step was criticised due to the short-term delay. The House of Councillors consists of 242 members who serve six-year terms. Approximately half the members are elected every three years. The previous elections took place in 2004 when Junichiro Koizumi, Abe's predecessor, was in office.