Reiwa Shinsengumi Chief Yamamoto Resigns from Upper House

Jiji Press

11:49 JST, January 22, 2026

Tokyo, Jan. 21 (Jiji Press)—Taro Yamamoto, leader of Japanese opposition party Reiwa Shinsengumi, on Wednesday resigned from the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, due to health problems.

“I’m one step away from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. If I don’t live by the main theme of not letting it progress, I could lose my life,” Yamamoto said in a video posted on the party’s official YouTube channel.

He said he will enter “an indefinite period of inactivity,” adding that he will continue to serve as party leader by significantly reducing his workload.

Reflecting on his time in office, Yamamoto said, “Parliamentary activities involved a series of tasks that required considerable physical and mental pressure.”

“I feel that excessive stress is the biggest cause,” he said of his health problems.

At a press conference after his resignation, Yamamoto denied any intention to retire from politics, saying, “I aim to return (to national politics).” He also said he would stay out of the public spotlight during the campaign period of the Feb. 8 election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, and would not take part in campaign speeches.

Yamamoto was first elected to the Upper House in 2013 and is currently serving his second term. He also served one term in the Lower House. He established Reiwa Shinsengumi in 2019.