The Japan TimesMar 10
In an about-face, the Democratic Party for the People says it will join a panel on social security while the Centrist Reform Alliance is also seriously considering it after both parties snubbed its inaugural meeting. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/03/09/japan/politics/consumption-tax-panel-cra-dpp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cra #dpp #taxes #consumptiontax #ldp #komeito #cdp #sanseito #jcp
CRA might join national council on consumption tax cut after all

Like the Democratic Party for the People, the party fears the political cost of not taking part in talks over the proposed consumption tax cut for food items.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 20
Amid economic uncertainty and global turbulence, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi offers the world a strong and steady democratic partner. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/20/japan/japans-moment-for-global-leadership/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #shinzoabe #sanseito #ldp #liberaldemocraticparty #cra #donaldtrump #china #europe #france #germany #uk #taiwan #un #cptpp #rcep #defense #2026lowerhouseelection
Stability as strategy: Japan’s moment for global leadership

Rising anti-China sentiment may have contributed to Takaichi’s strong mandate.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 16
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s approval rating remained high, at 41%, following its overwhelming victory in the Feb. 8 Lower House election, a recent Nikkei poll survey showed. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/16/japan/politics/ldp-approval-rating/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #sanaetakaichi #dpp #sanseito #cra #komeito #cdp
LDP retains high approval rating post election, Nikkei poll shows

While the Liberal Democratic Party’s high approval ratings continued after its Feb. 8 election win, support for the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito stayed sluggish.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 10
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s big win on Sunday left the opposition camp dividing unequal shares of the political pie. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/10/japan/politics/election-opposition-parties/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #cra #dpp #sanseito #teammirai #2026lowerhouseelection
Takaichi’s big win leaves opposition dividing unequal shares of the pie

Right-leaning parties and those with fresh ideas gained some ground, while those seen as touting the ‘same-old’ politics saw their fortunes decline.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 8
The Liberal Democratic Party is on track for an overwhelming landslide victory in Japan’s Lower House election, NHK projections show. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/08/japan/politics/japan-2026-lower-house-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2026lowerhouseelection #sanaetakaichi #ldp #jip #yoshihikonoda #cra #dpp #sanseito #jcp #reiwashinsengumi #teammirai
LDP secures two-thirds supermajority in Lower House election victory

Results early Monday showed the LDP had won 316 seats, giving it a higher proportion of representatives in the body than any other party in postwar Japan.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 6
The conservative grip is slipping in Fukui Prefecture ahead of Sunday's Lower House vote, following a recent gubernatorial election that left major fractures within the LDP. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/06/japan/politics/lower-house-election-fukui-conservatives/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2026lowerhouseelection #fukui #ldp #cra #sanseito
Conservative division deepens in Fukui Prefecture

The LDP’s grip is slipping ahead of Sunday's vote, following a recent gubernatorial election that left major fractures within the ruling party.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 5
Several parties are taking a hard-line stance in relation to foreign residents in Japan ahead of the country’s general election, including by proposing population caps. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/japan/politics/foreigner-measures-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #diet #expats #immigration #livinginjapan #nationality #foreignworkers #nipponishinnokai #sanseito #cra #2026lowerhouseelection
Conservative parties push for capping of foreign resident population

The Japan Innovation Party, Sanseito and the Conservative Party of Japan are taking a hard-line stance while other parties are proposing alternative measures.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 4
The new opposition centrist force that was supposed to upend Japan’s political calculus isn’t gaining any ground. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/04/japan/how-unpredictable-is-the-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #cdp #komeito #cra #dpp #sanseito #jip #china #us #indopacific #eastasia #senkakus #xijinping #sanaetakaichi #2026lowerhouseelection #nipponishinnokai #diet
Is this election really unpredictable?

Despite media uncertainty, opposition weaknesses and recent polls suggest Takaichi and the LDP are likely headed for a strong victory.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 3
The Japanese parties that best navigate the shortened campaign period will cement their place in the new political landscape. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/04/japan/cheat-sheet-for-japans-snap-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #sanaetakaichi #ldp #cra #jip #2026lowerhouseelection #sanseito #dpp #diet
A cheat sheet to Takaichi’s snap election

Parties with traditional vote-generating architectures in place before Japan's snap election have a significant advantage.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesFeb 3
Japan’s Feb. 8 snap election will test whether Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the LDP can rebuild a Lower House majority by reclaiming conservative and independent voters as it faces a fragmented opposition. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/03/japan/conservative-voters-returning-to-ldp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #japan #sanaetakaichi #ldp #cdpj #komeito #cra #jip #dpp #sanseito #sokagakkai #rengo #shinzoabe
Has Takaichi secured a win? Conservative voters are returning to the LDP.

Takaichi’s confidence in calling an election just four months into her tenure as Japan’s leader comes from high public approval and a general fragmentation in the opposition ranks.

The Japan Times