Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura resigned Friday morning to call a snap gubernatorial and mayoral election in the hope of winning local support for a third referendum on merging the city’s wards. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/16/japan/politics/osaka-referendum/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #osaka #nipponishinnokai #hirofumiyoshimura
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said Tuesday that he might step down to hold a gubernatatorial election in hopes of seeking a mandate over whether to hold a third referendum on his party’s Osaka merger plan. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/13/japan/politics/osaka-governor-mayor-backup-capital/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #osaka #hirofumiyoshimura #hideyukiyokoyama #decentralization
Several municipalities in Japan are giving Osaka a run for its money in the race toward winning the designation as the country’s secondary capital. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/09/japan/politics/back-up-capital-cities/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #disasterpreparedness #cities #nipponishinnokai #osaka #ldp #hirofumiyoshimura #fukuoka #kumamoto #saitama #nagoya
Recent remarks of senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Japan Innovation Party coalition have put the topic of a snap election back into focus. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/08/japan/politics/diet-dissolution-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #sanaetakaichi #hirofumiyoshimura #koichihagiuda
The Liberal Democratic Party’s recent tax agreement with an opposition party raises questions about how Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will balance ties with her party’s coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/25/japan/politics/dpp-ldp-jip-coalition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #dpp #jip #sanaetakaichi #yuichirotamaki #hirofumiyoshimura
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
After a bumpy negotiation process, the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, submitted a bill that would cut at least 45 Lower House seats by the end of next year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/05/japan/politics/seat-reduction-bill-submitted/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #katsunobukato #hirofumiyoshimura #ldp #nipponishinnokai #diet #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
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, have agreed to submit a bill that creates a framework for reducing Lower House seats during the ongoing session of parliament. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/21/japan/politics/ldp-ishin-seat-reduction-bill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #lowerhouse #diet #sanaetakaichi #katsunobukato #hirofumiyoshimura
While Japan's ruling coalition has agreed to enact legislation to create a backup capital in next year’s regular session of parliament, the concept itself faces tough questions about what it would look like in practice. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/13/japan/politics/backup-capital/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #tokyo #disasterpreparedness #cities #nipponishinnokai #osaka #ldp #hirofumiyoshimura #naomichisuzuki #seitarohattori
In her first weeks as prime minister, Sanae Takaichi unified the LDP, formed a new conservative coalition, advanced Japan’s defense and trade agendas and secured strong public support. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/30/japan/four-questions-for-takaichi-after-one-week/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #fumiokishida #shigeruishiba #yoshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #satsukikatayama #hirofumiyoshimura #fumitakefujita #donaldtrump #ldp #komeito #jip #dpp #sanseito
To become prime minister, Liberal Democratic Party head Sanae Takaichi struck a deal with the Japan Innovation Party that includes the goal of cutting Lower House seats by 10%, which would mostly affect smaller parties. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/28/japan/politics/election-bill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #komeito #nipponishinnokai #sanaetakaichi #hirofumiyoshimura #fumitakefujita #tetsuosaito #hiroshima #osaka
The Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party have formed a coalition, but some wonder whether it will last under pressure. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/23/japan/politics/ldp-ishin/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #hirofumiyoshimura #ldp #jip
Japan’s ruling party outmaneuvered a divided opposition to form a new coalition, securing political control through strategic disruption while exposing deep divisions and instability among its rivals. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/21/japan/japan-poltical-winners-and-losers/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #nipponishinnokai #japaninnovationparty #sanaetakaichi #komeito #dpp #cdp #hirofumiyoshimura
The LDP and Nippon Ishin no Kai have broadly agreed to form a coalition government, setting the stage for Japan's first female prime minister. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/19/japan/politics/ldp-ishin-coalition-agreement/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #sanaetakaichi #hirofumiyoshimura
Nippon Ishin no Kai forming a new coalition with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party could help elevate its pet projects, such as designating a backup capital in case of an emergency. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/17/japan/politics/look-at-ishin-likely-coalition-partner/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #nipponishinnokai #sanaetakaichi #hirofumiyoshimura
LDP chief Sanae Takaichi’s chances of becoming prime minister appeared to increase after Nippon Ishin emerged as a possible coalition partner. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/15/japan/politics/ldp-nippon-ishin/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #nipponishinnokai #ldp #dpp #cdp #sanaetakaichi #hirofumiyoshimura #yuichirotamaki #yoshihikonoda
As the Liberal Democratic Party grapples with internal party issues, speculation over the possibility of Nippon Ishin no Kai becoming the third ruling coalition partner has grown. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/28/japan/politics/ishin-ldp-komeito/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics#hirofumiyoshimura #shinjirokoizumi #nipponishinnokai #ldp #komeito #tetsuosaito #dpp #yuichirotamaki
An eight-hour suspension of services on Osaka Metro’s Chuo Line on Wednesday evening due to a power outage left some 30,000 visitors stranded at the Osaka Expo, forcing many to spend the night in the event’s pavilions. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/14/japan/society/osaka-expo-train-suspension/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #2025osakaexpo #osaka#hirofumiyoshimura