New LDP President Sanae Takaichi, 64, announced the party’s new leadership team on Tuesday. Lawmakers are preparing to vote on confirming her nomination as prime minister, amid questions within and outside the party about the future of the LDP’s coalition government.
While the media has been paying attention and praising her for becoming Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi herself has been open about being a staunch conservative.
Her stance also drew praise from former US President Donald Trump. Trump sent Takaichi a congratulatory message on social media, saying, “A highly respected person of wisdom and strength. This is wonderful news.” Takaichi later responded via X (formerly Twitter), “I appreciate your kind congratulations and look forward to further strengthening and prospering our alliance and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Takaichi’s position on the right wing of the LDP sets her apart from the two previous centrist prime ministers. This right-wing position may lead her to bring in minor right-wing parties to strengthen the current coalition government, which could cause problems for the existing political partner, the Komeito Party.
Takaichi met with Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito on Tuesday, but no agreement was reached. This has led some to suggest that the upcoming Diet vote on the new prime minister may be postponed. The Diet is scheduled to hold an extraordinary session on October 15 to confirm Takaichi’s appointment as prime minister. Traditionally, the ruling party’s president automatically assumed the role of prime minister in the past four prime ministerial elections, but this practice is no longer valid due to the loss of seats in both houses of the Diet under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. However, the LDP still holds the largest number of seats.
Ishiba, who became prime minister in October 2024, announced his resignation on September 7, leading to an internal party presidential election. Takaichi won the election and is expected to complete Ishiba’s three-year term.
Before the meeting, Takaichi announced the new leadership of the LDP. Experience was prioritized over youth, with former minister Shunichi Suzuki (72) appointed as secretary-general and former prime minister Taro Aso (85) appointed as vice president. Aso is seen as an influential figure within the party who will “restore the kingdom.” Of the four candidates running against Takaichi, only one, former Minister of Economic Security Takayuki Kobayashi (50), was promoted to a senior position.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Suzuki said, “Whatever form the new coalition government takes, its foundation should be based on the current coalition with Komeito.”
Komeito has had an up-and-down relationship with the LDP since first forming a coalition with them in 1999, most recently in 2012 and continuing to the present day.
On Saturday, when Takaichi was elected president of the LDP, Saito expressed concerns about her leadership, primarily over politicians’ visits to Yasukuni Shrine, a shrine dedicated to war dead, including Class A war criminals from World War II, which some see as a symbol of Shinto nationalism and militarism and which has led to diplomatic problems.
Takaichi is known for her active involvement in visiting Yasukuni Shrine as Minister of the Cabinet Office and Minister of State for Economic Security. No sitting prime minister has visited the shrine since 2013.
Saito said, “It is important for Japan to create a society that includes foreigners, and to achieve this, cooperation with motivated and capable people is essential,” demonstrating a critical stance toward anti-immigration opinions and messages within the LDP.
Saito also pointed out that “corruption was one of the reasons for the LDP’s crushing defeat in the recent election,” and called on Takaichi to seriously address the issue. This will be a difficult task, and the appointment of former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Hagiuda, who is facing a tough position for the LDP following the slush fund reported scandal in November 2023, has also become a hot topic.
The LDP could expand its coalition with Komeito or even join forces with a conservative minority party (such as the Japan Restoration Party or the Democratic Party for the People) to replace Komeito. Takaichi has reportedly already asked the Democratic Party for the People to join the coalition.
The House of Representatives has 465 seats, of which the LDP holds 196 and the Komeito Party 24. The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, has 148 seats, the Japan Restoration Party 38, the Democratic Party for the People 27, and the three far-right “Japan First” parties each have three seats.
It remains to be seen whether Takaichi will be able to make compromises and adjustments as she manages the coalition government. Future developments “will depend on how she maintains internal party unity and coordinates with the minority ruling party,” wrote Rintaro Nishimura, an expert on Japanese politics, in a post on X. “If she can stabilize politics and forge a coalition with the opposition parties, she will likely be able to complete the remainder of Ishiba’s term.”
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