https://www.scmp.com/rss/521839/feed The latest news and top stories on Komeito. A prominent Tokyo-based political party, Komeito was founded in 1964. It is dedicated to people-centred politics based on humanitarianism and respect for life. As the junior coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, its main areas of activity include social welfare initiatives human rights protection and decentralising government. Komeito has notably contributed to normalising Japan-China relations and enacting laws for crime victims. The... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s fledgling opposition alliance is scrambling to regroup after a bruising election defeat that has left its future in doubt, raising broader questions about whether the country can sustain a credible parliamentary counterweight to the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) is set to elect a new leader on Friday, just days after voters delivered a resounding blow in Sunday’s House of Representatives poll, prompting the resignation of its joint... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343191/japans-new-opposition-alliance-already-dead-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343191/japans-new-opposition-alliance-already-dead-water?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s ruling coalition secured a commanding victory in Sunday’s general election, but analysts warn that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s embrace of a hardline conservative agenda could narrow her party’s support base and ultimately weaken its dominance over time. The Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition captured 352 of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives, according to national public broadcaster NHK: well above the two-thirds supermajority required to override upper house... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342931/japans-takaichi-won-election-what-cost-ldp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342931/japans-takaichi-won-election-what-cost-ldp?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:38:04 +0000 Maria Siow,Agencies Maria Siow,Agencies The ruling coalition of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi scored a landslide win in the lower house election on Sunday, with the results pointing to further defence build-up as the country’s leader doubled down on her stoic stance on China. The conservative Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader who says she is inspired by Britain’s “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, secured 316 of the 465 seats in parliament’s lower house for her Liberal Democratic Party, according to a tally by public... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342793/sanae-takaichi-poised-big-win-snow-hit-japan-votes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342793/sanae-takaichi-poised-big-win-snow-hit-japan-votes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 01:00:42 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has come under fire for deciding to hold Sunday’s general election during the peak university entrance exam season, with critics saying it has placed an additional burden on students. Takaichi’s abrupt announcement last month to dissolve the House of Representatives has also been questioned, as it will be the first time since 1990 that a lower house election is taking place in February, when some regions experience heavy snowfall. The prime minister has... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342441/japans-extremely-unreasonable-election-timing-threatens-keep-young-voters-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342441/japans-extremely-unreasonable-election-timing-threatens-keep-young-voters-away?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 02:13:28 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has extended its lead from last week in a new poll on the race ahead of the February 8 election, with 36.1 per cent backing the party, up 6.9 percentage points, the survey showed on Sunday. The Centrist Reform Alliance, a new major opposition force, was second with 13.9 per cent, up 2.0 points. At the single-constituency level, the survey conducted over two days from Saturday showed that 44.0 per cent would vote for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342018/japans-takaichi-seeks-mandate-improved-majority-snap-election-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3342018/japans-takaichi-seeks-mandate-improved-majority-snap-election-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:33:11 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan is entering one of its most unpredictable election cycles in decades after the surprise formation of a new centrist political alliance that could redefine the balance of power and potentially restore a two-party system to the country’s long-stagnant political landscape. On Thursday, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito, once a loyal coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, announced they would merge into a new force called the Centrist Reform... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340538/japans-1-party-era-faces-unprecedented-threat-new-centrist-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340538/japans-1-party-era-faces-unprecedented-threat-new-centrist-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Maria Siow,Kyodo Maria Siow,Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has staked her political survival on a high-risk snap general election, wagering that her personal approval ratings can overcome the legacy of her scandal-plagued party. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Takaichi confirmed she would dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday – the opening day of the parliamentary session – paving the way for a nationwide vote on February 8. “I will put my post on the line and seek the voters’ judgment on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340435/japans-first-female-pm-takaichi-calls-snap-election-february-8?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340435/japans-first-female-pm-takaichi-calls-snap-election-february-8?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:44:14 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s bid to strengthen her slim parliamentary majority through a widely expected snap election has grown riskier after the country’s largest opposition party struck an alliance with a former ruling coalition partner. The new alliance between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito, announced on Thursday, complicates Takaichi’s bet that she will be able to significantly build on her razor-thin majority in the lower house of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339879/japans-takaichi-faces-uphill-task-lower-house-election-after-allys-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339879/japans-takaichi-faces-uphill-task-lower-house-election-after-allys-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Taku Yamamoto, husband of Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, said he hopes to support his wife as a “stealth husband”, adding, “Unlike in the West, it is better for the partner to stay out of the spotlight here.” A former fellow Liberal Democratic Party member in the House of Representatives, Yamamoto said he was initially “drawn to the contrast” between Takaichi’s tough exterior and her femininity. The couple, who married in 2004, divorced in 2017 over political differences but... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329831/sanae-takaichis-husband-vows-stealth-support-japans-first-female-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329831/sanae-takaichis-husband-vows-stealth-support-japans-first-female-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:49:42 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Japan’s parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, a day after her struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner expected to pull her governing bloc further to the right. Takaichi replaces Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party’s disastrous election loss in July. Ishiba, who lasted only one year as prime minister, resigned with his cabinet earlier in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329748/sanae-takaichi-becomes-japans-first-female-pm-ending-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329748/sanae-takaichi-becomes-japans-first-female-pm-ending-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 04:53:49 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s centre-right opposition Innovation Party (JIP) has thrown its support behind a controversial new ruling coalition led by Sanae Takaichi, paving the way for her to be elected the country’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, despite concerns the alliance may quickly unravel. The surprise deal with the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party, headed by Takaichi, marks a dramatic shift for the Osaka-based JIP. Instead of joining other opposition groups to challenge the LDP’s grip on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329676/japans-new-ruling-coalition-tipped-collapse-weirdest-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329676/japans-new-ruling-coalition-tipped-collapse-weirdest-alliance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:00:57 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Japan’s unstable political landscape is expected to cast doubt over its diplomatic commitments and could hinder progress in its trilateral summit with China and South Korea, analysts have observed. Uncertainties are mounting as the path to the Japanese premiership for recently elected Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi has been complicated by the abrupt exit of the LDP’s junior coalition partner, Komeito. Takaichi, aiming to be Japan’s first female prime minister, remains short of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329281/turbulent-japanese-politics-could-stall-progress-china-and-south-korea-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329281/turbulent-japanese-politics-could-stall-progress-china-and-south-korea-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 05:00:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow With Japan’s parliament poised to vote on who it wants to next lead the country, a resurgent opposition and the collapse of the ruling coalition have put the prospect of the nation’s first female prime minister in real doubt. On Tuesday, the leaders of Japan’s principal opposition factions agreed to convene in hopes of fielding a unified candidate for the top job, as they aim to break the Liberal Democratic Party’s 13-year grip on power. “It will be essential for us to achieve consensus on basic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329121/japans-ruling-party-falters-non-ldp-prime-minister-becomes-real-possibility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329121/japans-ruling-party-falters-non-ldp-prime-minister-becomes-real-possibility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan’s ruling coalition collapsed on Friday as junior partner Komeito quit the alliance, putting in peril Sanae Takaichi’s bid to become the country’s first woman prime minister. Takaichi became head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) less than a week ago, and had been expected to be approved by parliament as premier this month. But Komeito’s decision to end the alliance that has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for 25 years has plunged Japan into a new political crisis. The yen dropped... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3328510/japans-komeito-exit-ruling-ldp-coalition-blow-new-pm-takaichi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3328510/japans-komeito-exit-ruling-ldp-coalition-blow-new-pm-takaichi?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 07:27:19 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow As Japan prepares to swear in its first female prime minister, old ghosts of the past are threatening to haunt her leadership. Sanae Takaichi’s hard-edged views on history and national identity have stirred anxieties from Seoul to Beijing, even though analysts believe the former security minister’s stance may be tempered by the realities of fragile coalitions in a volatile region. Takaichi’s election last weekend as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party marked a moment of both historic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328214/will-japans-new-pm-reopen-old-war-wounds-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328214/will-japans-new-pm-reopen-old-war-wounds-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Sanae Takaichi is poised to make history as Japan’s first female prime minister, but her government may be imperilled before it even begins amid a deepening rift within the ruling coalition. The Liberal Democratic Party Takaichi now leads and its long-time junior partner, Komeito, have been in coalition for 26 years. Without Komeito’s parliamentary support, the LDP would lose its majority in the Diet, forcing its leader to seek new political allies. Yet analysts warn that Takaichi’s hardline... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328004/japans-first-female-pm-hits-political-gridlock-she-even-takes-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328004/japans-first-female-pm-hits-political-gridlock-she-even-takes-office?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Conservative Sanae Takaichi hailed a “new era” on Saturday after winning the leadership of Japan’s ruling party, putting her on course to become the country’s first woman prime minister. The 64-year-old, whose hero is Margaret Thatcher, said that a “mountain of work” lay ahead to restore the fortunes of her ailing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, but it has been haemorrhaging support as backing grows for smaller parties, including the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3327862/japans-ruling-ldp-pick-new-leader-amid-trump-summit-and-election-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3327862/japans-ruling-ldp-pick-new-leader-amid-trump-summit-and-election-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 02:49:07 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on September 7 that he would step down after his party was trounced at the parliamentary polls earlier this year, the country was already staring at what could be an era of flux, marked by revolving door leaders who are slaves to approval ratings amid relentless electoral cycles. And this trend, according to observers, is likely to persist, pulling Tokyo into a period reminiscent of the 1990s and 2000s when prime ministers were replaced... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327047/ishiba-exits-japan-doomed-revolving-door-era-political-instability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327047/ishiba-exits-japan-doomed-revolving-door-era-political-instability?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 00:00:23 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan could soon see its first female prime minister, with Sanae Takaichi emerging among the front runners in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race, a significant achievement in a country where women leaders remain a rarity. Hardline conservative Takaichi has consistently been a public favourite, along with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, ahead of the LDP’s leadership vote on October 4. Last year, Takaichi narrowly lost to outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3326302/japans-thatcher-inspired-takaichi-aims-pm-despite-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3326302/japans-thatcher-inspired-takaichi-aims-pm-despite-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:42:07 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Komeito, the Buddhist-backed political partner of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is grappling with what it calls an “existential crisis” after a bruising defeat in July’s Upper House election compounded internal fractures and exposed a growing disconnect with its traditional support base. The party’s stark assessment was contained in a postmortem report, formally approved on Thursday, that acknowledged the scale of the setback. At a subsequent senior party meeting, Secretary... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325380/japans-buddhist-backed-komeito-facing-existential-crisis-after-bruising-election-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325380/japans-buddhist-backed-komeito-facing-existential-crisis-after-bruising-election-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is presiding over a political “house of cards” that analysts say is looking more shaky every day, as he continues to resist growing calls from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to step down. This week, the chorus demanding Ishiba’s resignation grew louder after the LDP released an internal report examining its dismal performance in July’s Upper House election. The party lost 18 seats, leaving it short of a parliamentary majority even with its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324332/japans-house-cards-ishiba-clings-power-hawks-demand-ldp-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324332/japans-house-cards-ishiba-clings-power-hawks-demand-ldp-election?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may have hailed the 15 per cent tariff imposed on his country by the United States as a “win-win” deal, but Tokyo is expected to push back if the levies adversely affect Japan’s economy – especially the vital vehicle sector. One of the biggest sources of domestic criticism has been the absence of a joint text on the agreement, observers say. While Ishiba has touted the trade deal reached last month as benefiting both nations, he also acknowledged on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3320785/all-talk-no-paper-japans-us-tariff-deal-hits-snag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3320785/all-talk-no-paper-japans-us-tariff-deal-hits-snag?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Japan has entered a period of profound change. Inflation has returned after decades of deflation and stagnation. Japan’s relations with the United States, which helped underpin the post-war global order, have deteriorated dramatically. A culturally homogenous nation is experiencing an epic boom in tourism. More surprisingly, a country renowned for political stability is at risk from the anti-establishment populism that has upended politics in other advanced economies. The ruling Liberal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3319789/inflation-political-turmoil-wont-put-investors-japanese-property?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3319789/inflation-political-turmoil-wont-put-investors-japanese-property?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is grappling with an identity crisis, its decades-long political dominance rattled first by a humiliating electoral defeat and now, the anticipated resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Ishiba, 68, on Wednesday dismissed as “completely unfounded” media reports that he had already decided to step down. But analysts contend that his departure is all but inevitable after the LDP’s second consecutive loss and the collapse of his minority... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319299/japan-pm-ishibas-expected-exit-tips-ruling-ldp-crisis-mode?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319299/japan-pm-ishibas-expected-exit-tips-ruling-ldp-crisis-mode?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:07 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall With his grasp on power slipping, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office despite a stinging electoral rebuke that plunged his ruling coalition into fresh turmoil. The humiliating setback, confirmed late on Sunday, has fuelled doubts about Ishiba’s leadership as rivals within his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) circle and stoked anxiety in the world’s fourth-largest economy, already reeling from rising prices, mounting security threats and the disruptive effects of US... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319039/ishibas-last-stand-japans-ldp-turmoil-sanseito-surge-erodes-pms-grip-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319039/ishibas-last-stand-japans-ldp-turmoil-sanseito-surge-erodes-pms-grip-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters The fringe far-right Sanseito party emerged as one of the biggest winners in Japan’s upper house election on Sunday, gaining support with warnings of a “silent invasion” of immigrants and pledges for tax cuts and welfare spending. Birthed on YouTube during the Covid-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the party broke into mainstream politics with its “Japanese First” campaign. The party won 14 seats, according to public broadcaster NHK,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3318943/sanseitos-japanese-first-gains-traction-amid-concerns-over-immigration-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3318943/sanseitos-japanese-first-gains-traction-amid-concerns-over-immigration-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 01:55:37 +0000 Reuters,Maria Siow Reuters,Maria Siow Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s ruling coalition failed to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper house in a crucial parliamentary election on Sunday, Japan’s NHK public television said on Monday. Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 seats on top of the 75 seats they already have to reach the goal. With two more seats to be decided, the coalition had only 46 seats. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba’s shaky... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318885/weakened-mandate-looms-ishiba-japan-votes-upper-house-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318885/weakened-mandate-looms-ishiba-japan-votes-upper-house-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 01:22:39 +0000