Japan Innovation Party Leaders Positive on Holding Coalition Talks with Ruling Parties

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:28 JST, September 27, 2025

The leader and other high-ranking members of the opposition Japan Innovation Party have started to express positive stances on holding coalition talks with the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.

Such talks would be an opportunity for the JIP to press the LDP and Komeito to realize policies it advocates. These include security reforms and the creation of a secondary capital that would serve as a substitute for the Tokyo metropolitan area in time of disaster.

However, there are still those within the JIP who are cautious of joining the LDP-Komeito coalition, so the party could see difficulties in consolidating internal opinions.

“Realizing pledges is the most important thing for a party. We want to think carefully and act accordingly,” JIP representative Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters at the Osaka prefectural government office on Friday. He suggested he would accept coalition talks if approached by the new LDP president.

Yoshimura is also the governor of Osaka.

JIP co-representative Fumitake Fujita also said, “It is only natural to sit at the negotiating table.”

The two leaders have set social security reform and the secondary capital concept as “absolute conditions” for joining a coalition.

Regarding social security reform, the JIP demanded that the ruling parties reduce annual social insurance premiums by ¥60,000 for working-age people in exchange for agreeing on the fiscal 2025 budget. However, negotiations on social security reform have stalled.

The party views the secondary capital initiative as an extension of its flagship Osaka metropolis plan, and many JIP lawmakers elected from Osaka Prefecture are calling for its realization.

The JIP’s new executive leadership, formed in August, compiled a set of proposals this month on constitutional revision and its policy on foreigners, as if timed to coincide with the LDP’s presidential election.

Fujita emphasized the compatibility of his party’s policies, stating, “Our basic policies on the Constitution, security and diplomacy are close to those of the LDP.”

The fact that many members, including former representative Nobuyuki Baba and Secretary General Hiroshi Nakatsuka, used to be LDP local assembly members is another factor behind the positive stances on joining the coalition.

“If we become part of the ruling coalition and fulfill our pledges, we can get our party out of its slump,” said a JIP member who used to belong to the LDP.

However, many JIP members elected outside Osaka Prefecture oppose joining the coalition. Just this month, the party expelled House of Representatives members who submitted letters of resignation in protest of the leadership’s pro-ruling party stance.

The LDP broke an agreement with the JIP over reforming the “survey, research, public relations and accommodation costs,” previously known as “document, correspondence, travel and accommodation expenses.” Coordination for election constituencies with the LDP and Komeito would be another issue if the JIP joins the coalition. Mid-career JIP lawmakers seek a cautious approach from the party leadership, saying the party cannot be deceived by the LDP again.