LDP, JIP Start Talks With Coalition in Sight; JIP Eyes ‘Second Capital,’ Social Security Reform

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:28 JST, October 16, 2025

The Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party will hold policy talks on Thursday afternoon with an eye toward forming a coalition government. The two parties are expected to discuss the “second capital” concept and social security reforms proposed by the JIP.

Depending on the progress of these talks, the JIP will decide whether to vote for LDP President Sanae Takaichi as prime minister during the upcoming extraordinary Diet session.

The policy talks followed Takaichi’s request, made during a meeting with JIP leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura and coleader Fujita Fumitake on Wednesday, that JIP members vote for her in the prime minister nomination election. They also talked about a possible coalition and other forms of cooperation.

Takaichi, Fujita and the policy chiefs of both parties will attend the policy talks. The topics to be discussed include the second capital concept, social security reform, political funding, reducing the number of Diet members and revising the Constitution.

Earlier on Thursday, the JIP held a general meeting of its Diet members in the Diet Building and decided to leave decisions regarding the policy talks to its executive members. According to attendees, there were few objections to starting such talks with an eye toward joining a coalition.

The JIP aims to make a final decision before the extraordinary Diet session scheduled to convene on Tuesday.

After the JIP meeting, Fujita told reporters, “We will present comprehensive demands covering short-term economic measures, political reform, structural reform and a medium-to-long-term vision for the nation.”