New Policy Groups Emerge

After fundamental criticisms on collective political activities of lawmakers with certain factions caused by the scandal dealing with political funds, some leaders in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) restarted factional moves. Their cause is that it is natural for lawmakers to get together for implementing their policies. However, it is likely that the leaders of those new policy groups are preparing for replacing the leadership in case Shigeru Ishiba administration falls down.

Former LDP Secretary General, Toshimitsu Motegi, launched a study session on January 29^th, which discussed Japan’s position toward Donald Trump administration of the United States. In LDP presidential campaign last September, Motegi appealed his relationship with Trump when he was the representative of Japan in the negotiation over Japan-US trade pact. Motegi insisted on the importance of summit talk between two countries.

Over sixty lawmakers appeared at the meeting, including former LDP policy chief, Koichi Hagiuda, who were penalized for involvement in the slush fund scandal of Abe faction, or Seiko Noda, who also sought LDP presidential bid for several times. It was remarkable that Motegi gathered attendees beyond the line of former factions, most of which are dissolved or became inactive after the scandal.

Motegi has officially disbanded his faction as a political organization last December, following the factions of Moriyama and Kishida, and reported the dismantlement to the government. But Motegi is going to maintain his group for policy study. He has been hosting meetings for studying policies every Thursday after his defeat in LDP presidential election.

Another candidate in LDP presidential election, Takayuki Kobayashi, also established his own study group last December. About thirty lawmakers, most of whom were young or middle-ranked party members, participated in the first meeting. They will have meetings for discussing future visions of Japanese government.

Although Kishida faction was officially disbanded in September 2024, its candidate for LDP presidential election last fall, Yoshimasa Hayashi, assumed the head of a group for promotion of Japanese culture including cartoon and animation. It is unusual for an incumbent chief cabinet secretary to lead a policy group in the party.

Sanae Takaichi, another presidential candidate with support of right-wing groups, presides a group for discussion on security, anti-terrorism and cyber crimes. Aso faction keeps its regular meetings as only one faction remaining in the party.

Factions in the LDP has not only been the groups for discussing policies, but for fielding a candidate for presidential election or helping each other in general election of both Houses. That structure of interdependence among lawmakers has been said as the basis of inappropriate political activities behind the scenes.

Although the LDP has attempted to dissolve the factions in the past, the factions survived firstly as groups for policy study, and then as power resource for the presidency and as the center of distribution of political funds. There is no guarantee for current new policy groups to be transformed as old-type factions in the leading party.