JIP to Face Test over Coalition with LDP

Tokyo, Jan. 3 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Innovation Party is bound to face a real test this year as to whether it can produce results as a member of the country’s ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party. The JIP replaced Komeito as the coalition partner of the LDP last October but has since failed to achieve marked outcomes over important issues for the party. The two-way coalition submitted a bill aimed at reducing the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, to an extraordinary Diet session in early December 2025. The JIP regards a reduction in the Lower House seats, now totaling 465, as the centerpiece of reforms. In the face of objections from the opposition camp, however, the ruling bloc was unable to launch discussions on the bill during the extraordinary session, and the legislation has been carried over to this year’s regular Diet session, slated to begin this month. Of the total Lower House seats, 289 are single-seat constituency seats and 176 are proportional representation seats. The fate of a proposal to establish the nation’s secondary capital, another pillar of the JIP’s policies, also remains to be seen as the party and the LDP have been apart over the matter. “It was regrettable,” JIP co-leader Fumitake Fujita said at a party meeting Dec. 17, when the extraordinary Diet session ended, referring to the handling of the Lower House seat reduction legislation. At a press conference later, Fujita, a Lower House member, questioned the LDP’s attitude, saying, “Did (the LDP) really do its best to pass the legislation?” The coalition agreement between the LDP and the JIP stipulates that the two parties would submit legislation to cut Lower House seats to the 2025 extraordinary Diet session and aim to enact it during the session. But it does not contain strong wording to guarantee its enactment, prompting a veteran JIP lawmaker to say that it may be difficult to realize the Lower House downsizing in 2026. Still, JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, has indicated that the party would not dissolve the coalition with the LDP even if the Lower House seat reduction bill is not enacted during the 2026 ordinary Diet session. The LDP and the JIP remain apart over the secondary capital plan. They were unable to reach an agreement by the end of 2025 on key points of discussion on the issue. A JIP official said that it is difficult to reach a consensus through talks between working-level officials, adding, “We have no choice but to leave the matter up to a political decision by the two parties’ leaders.” The LDP-JIP coalition agreement spells out that a bill on the secondary capital plan should be passed during the 2026 ordinary Diet session. Since hurdles are high to strike an accord on the secondary capital initiative, a mid-career JIP lawmaker said, “Depending on the outcome of the ordinary Diet session, it could be possible that calls for leaving the coalition will emerge within our party.” The JIP has also vowed to realize social security reforms. Efforts have so far been limited, however. At a meeting Dec. 19, the policy chiefs of the two parties agreed to slash the country’s medical costs by 188 billion yen annually. But the amount is far short of 4 trillion yen targeted by the JIP. Fujita touted the agreement at a press conference Dec. 24, saying, “It’s a landmark step forward.” At the same time, however, he said, “It’s a modest start compared with what we have called for.” Another challenge is a review of political donations from corporations and other organizations, with the ruling parties remaining far apart. The JIP is arguing for a total ban on such donations while the LDP is in favor of keeping them intact. The LDP and the JIP submitted a bill to set up a third-party committee to study regulations on political donations to the 2025 extraordinary Diet session. But deliberations have been postponed. Their coalition agreement calls for a conclusion to be reached before Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s term as LDP president expires in September 2027. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]