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
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
The Liberal Democratic Party’s Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki said having the Democratic Party for the People join the ruling bloc would help achieve “political stability.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/07/japan/politics/dpp-ldp-rengo/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #dpp #ldp #nipponishinnokai #rengo #tomokoyoshino #unions #yuichirotamaki #shunichisuzuki #cdp #yoshihikonoda #sanaetakaichi
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan plans to compile as early as this spring a new perspective on the country’s security legislation in a bid to join forces with its peers in the opposition. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/05/japan/politics/cdp-perspective-security-legislation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cdp #ldp #defense #constitution
After more than three decades, there is a growing debate in parliament about returning the current Lower House electoral system to what it once was. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/02/japan/politics/election-system/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #diet #lowerhouse #ldp #nipponishinnokai #dpp #cdp
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
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
Japanese political parties are boosting spending on online outreach, with upstart Sanseito marking a fourteenfold jump in expenditures for Google advertisements in 2024. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/28/japan/politics/political-parties-online-outreach/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2025upperhouseelection #sanseito #ldp #cdp #internet #google
In Japan, political parties’ origins and backers are more consistent indicators of their leanings, rather than the left-right labels that apply more conveniently in the U.S. and Europe. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/27/japan/politics/explainer-political-parties-labeling/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #cdp #nipponishin #jcp #dpp #komeito #sanseito #sanaetakaichi #yoshihikonoda #yuichirotamaki #tetsuosaito #fumitakefujita #tomokotamura #soheikamiya
Sanae Takaichi has hinted in parliament that she didn’t initially intend to refer to a specific case that Japan could consider a “survival-threatening situation,” potentially allowing it to deploy its military. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/26/japan/politics/party-leaders-diet-debate-taiwan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #diet #sanaetakaichi #yoshihikonoda #ldp #cdp #china #taiwan #chinajapanrelations #japaneseeconomy #nuclearweapons
The Lower House on Tuesday passed legislation to scrap the provisional gasoline tax surcharge of ¥25.1 per liter, effective Dec. 31. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/25/japan/politics/gasoline-bill-lower-house/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #gas #ldp #cdp #taxes #energy #nipponishinnokai #komeito #jcp #localgovernment
Ruling and opposition lawmakers on Thursday voiced the need to tighten regulations on social media platform businesses. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/20/japan/japan-panel-social-media-regulation-discussion/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #socialmedia #ldp #cdp