Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is calling a snap election to seek a popular mandate for her leadership, but faces major challenges from opposition turnout machines and possible weak coordination within her own coalition. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/20/japan/takaichi-election-announcement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #sanaetakaichi #2026lowerhouseelection #komeito #jip #cdp
The Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) — a new party formed by the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito — announced its basic policies and party platform on Monday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/19/japan/politics/cra-policies-security-energy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cra #2026lowerhouseelection #komeito #cdp #junazumi #tetsuosaito #henoko #futenma #okinawa #sanaetakaichi #sanseito
Japan's opposition politics remain fragmented as Komeito and the CDP merge to form a new party, despite policy divides and a history of electoral struggles. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/18/japan/japans-rare-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #ldp #komeitolowerhouse #komeito #cdp #centristreformalliance #cra #tetsuosaito #yoshihikonoda #sokagakkai #ccp #aeon #china #shinzoabe #fumiokishida #shigeruishiba #jip
Ruling and opposition parties clashed during a Sunday debate, a day ahead of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s widely expected announcement of a February snap election. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/18/japan/politics/japan-political-parties-tug-of-war/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #lowerhouse #ldp #jip #komeito #cdp #centristreformalliance #diet #sanaetakaichi
Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition CDP, is likely to be the prime minister candidate of the Centrist Reform Alliance, the new party jointly formed by the CDP and Komeito. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/17/japan/politics/noda-pm-candidate-centrist-reform-alliance/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #yoshihikonoda #cra #cdp #komeito #ldp #diet #lowerhouse #sanaetakaichi #nipponishin
The formation of a new party by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito has the Liberal Democratic Party concerned, particularly over the fortunes of lawmakers who used to benefit from Komeito support. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/16/japan/politics/ldp-reaction-cra/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #suzukishunichi #itsunorionodera #komeito #cdp #sokagakkai
The CDP and Komeito’s formation of a new centrist party is a bid for survival as the political landscape shifts ahead of a surprise snap election. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/16/japan/politics/why-cdp-komeito-new-party/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cdp #komeito #yoshihikonoda #tetsuosaito #ldp #nipponishin
The Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party won’t coordinate candidates in a snap election — an unusual and potentially risky move for the coalition partners as they seek to expand their seat count. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/15/japan/politics/ldp-jip-election-competition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #komeito
As talk of a snap election next month grows, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito have agreed to work toward creating a new centrist political opposition force. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/13/japan/politics/cdp-komeito-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cdp #komeito #yoshihikonoda #tetsuosaito
Takaichi is weighing a snap election to win enough seats to govern without coalition constraints but risks repeating Ishiba’s failure if she misreads voter priorities and coalition politics. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/13/world/why-a-japan-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #sanaetakaichi #liberaldemocraticparty #ldp #japaninnovationparty #jip #democraticpartyforthepeople #sanseito #shinzoabe #komeito #yurikokoike #partyofhope #shigeruishiba #snapelections
Since taking office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seems to have enjoyed a tailwind. Yet amid a cost-of-living crisis, perilous coalition ties and weak party support, there’s no shortage of challenges. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/01/japan/politics/political-outlook-2026/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #nipponishinnokai #komeito #taroaso #diet
Fresh from its divorce from the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito faces an urgent need to redefine its identity and set itself apart from its competitors. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/29/japan/politics/komeito-post-ldp-prospects/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #komeito #tetsuosaito #diet #ldp #cdp
With parliament set to close on Wednesday, the ruling coalition agreed this week to hold off discussions on a bill reducing Lower House seats by 10% until next year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/16/japan/politics/ldp-jip-bill-put-off/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #nipponishinnokai #ldp #hirofumiyoshimura #dpp #cdp #komeito #diet #lowerhouse
With just days left in the current Diet session, a key ruling-bloc bill to reduce the number of Lower House seats by 10% faces an uncertain future. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/12/japan/politics/ldp-ishin-seat-reducing-bill-uncertain/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #nipponishinnokai #ldp #hirofumiyoshimura #dpp #cdp #komeito #sanaetakaichi
China and Japan’s diplomatic spat shows no sign of an off-ramp even as the head of a Japanese political party that helped break the ice in a previous dispute continues to talk with Chinese officials behind the scenes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/11/japan/politics/japan-komeito-leader-interview-china-japan-spat/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #komeito #tetsuosaito #sanaetakaichi #taiwan
In Japan’s political heart of Nagatacho, a question swirls: Will Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi bank on her popularity and call a snap election ahead of next year’s parliamentary session? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/takaichi-risks-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #ldp #komeito #taroaso #toshimitsumotegi #shunichisuzuki
Japan should cut Upper House seats and expand the Lower House to 550 single-seat districts to end voter disparity and consolidate the 47 prefectures into nine regional blocks to make government more efficient. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/05/japan/right-sizing-the-diet/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #jip #komeito #sanseito #japanesecommunistparty #constitutionaldemocraticpartyofjapan #democraticpartyforthepeople #sanaetakaichi
Japan's ruling and opposition parties remained at odds during parliamentary deliberations on three bills related to reforming political donations from companies and other organizations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/political-donation-reform-bills/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #politicalfunds #ldp #cdp #dpp #komeito #nipponishinnokai
Japan’s parliament has started deliberations on three bills related to the reform of political donations from companies and other organizations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/04/japan/politics/japan-corporate-donation-reform-bill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #jip #komeito #lowerhouse
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura agreed to submit a bill during the current parliamentary session that will reduce the number of Lower House seats by 10%. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/01/japan/politics/seats-reduction-ldp-jip-agreement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #lowerhouse #diet #hirofumiyoshimura #komeito #koichihagiuda