Japan’s political landscape was thrown into turmoil on October 10, 2025, when the Komeito party announced its departure from the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), citing deep-seated concerns over corruption and a lack of decisive action on political funding scandals. The move, ending a 26-year partnership, has sent shock waves through Tokyo’s corridors of power and cast a shadow of uncertainty over the upcoming vote for the country’s next prime minister.
Tetsuo Saito, Komeito’s chief representative, delivered the news directly to Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected LDP president and a leading contender to become Japan’s first female prime minister. According to The Asahi Shimbun, Saito informed Takaichi at a meeting that “for the time being, the LDP-Komeito coalition is a blank slate.” At a news conference following the meeting, Saito elaborated on his party’s rationale, stating that the LDP had failed to provide “sufficient answers regarding the scandalous political funding and other issues.”
“We have decided to return to the drawing board and stop here,” Saito said, as reported by the Associated Press. “Our endeavor against money politics is the highest priority for the Komeito.” He emphasized that Komeito would dissolve the coalition, terminate further election cooperation with the LDP, and that its lawmakers would not support Takaichi in the upcoming prime ministerial vote. “I will vote for Tetsuo Saito,” he declared.
The timing of Komeito’s exit could hardly be more critical. The ruling coalition had already lost its majorities in both houses of the Japanese parliament, and the Lower House is scheduled to vote on a new prime minister around October 20. With Komeito’s departure, the LDP—already short of a majority with 196 seats in the Lower House—must now scramble to secure new partners if it hopes to retain power. Komeito’s 24 seats, though modest in number, have historically played a crucial role in tipping the balance, especially given Japan’s often fragmented political scene.
Takaichi, speaking to reporters after the announcement, expressed disappointment and frustration. She said that Saito had “one-sidedly announced the decision to leave the coalition” even though she and her deputy, LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki, had promised to discuss Komeito’s concerns and respond promptly. “We’ve been together for 26 years and it was extremely disappointing, but this is how we ended up,” Takaichi told the press, according to the Associated Press. She called Komeito’s withdrawal “deeply regrettable,” especially in light of the two parties’ long history of cooperation, which included periods spent together in opposition under the Democratic Party of Japan administration.
While Komeito had raised several concerns—among them Takaichi’s hardline stance on Japan’s wartime history, her controversial visits to Yasukuni Shrine (a site often seen as a symbol of past militarism), and her tough position toward foreigners—Saito made it clear that the decisive factor was the LDP’s tepid response to corruption scandals. “The LDP’s response was that it will think about it, which was highly insufficient and extremely disappointing,” Saito explained. He noted that while Takaichi’s answers regarding history and foreign policy were “acceptable,” her lack of “sincerity” about cleaning up corruption left Komeito with no choice but to walk away.
Komeito’s roots as a party founded in 1964 by Daisaku Ikeda, leader of the Buddhist sect Soka Gakkai, have always centered on fighting corruption and representing diverse public interests—an alternative to the big-business and labor-backed parties that have dominated Japanese politics. Over the years, however, the alliance with the LDP has taken its toll. Hiroshi Shiratori, a professor of political science at Hosei University in Tokyo, told China Daily that the decision to split was “long expected,” pointing to the LDP’s “excessive conservatism” and a string of political and financial controversies that have gradually eroded Komeito’s influence. “Far from expanding its influence, the alliance has gradually eroded Komeito’s power amid the LDP’s political and financial controversies,” Shiratori observed.
The LDP, for its part, has been beset by scandals involving dozens of lawmakers, many linked to a faction previously led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Takaichi, whose political vision closely mirrors Abe’s, has indicated she would reinstate some senior lawmakers to key positions if she becomes prime minister—provided they are re-elected twice more after being ousted over past scandals. This approach did little to reassure Komeito, which had made clear that a hard line on “money politics” would be non-negotiable.
The political fallout is already rippling across Japan’s opposition parties. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), holding 148 seats in the Lower House, has suggested it may back Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, as a candidate for prime minister. CDP Secretary-General Jun Azumi told reporters that the coalition split has opened up “the possibility of a change in government,” depending on the alliances formed ahead of the prime minister vote. Takahide Kiuchi, an economist at Nomura Research Institute, told Reuters that a coalition between the opposition parties and Komeito, with Tamaki as their leader, could result in a government led by an opposition alliance—a scenario that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago.
Throughout all this, Komeito’s base—especially the Soka Gakkai members who have long provided vital grassroots support for the LDP—remains a wildcard. Saito has made it clear that Komeito will not perform its usual role of drumming up votes for LDP politicians, further complicating Takaichi’s path to the premiership.
As the Lower House prepares for a pivotal vote later this month, the LDP’s future hangs in the balance. The party must now negotiate with potential new partners or risk losing its grip on power for the first time in over a decade. The political intrigue swirling in Tokyo serves as a stark reminder that in Japan, even long-standing alliances can unravel with stunning speed when public trust is at stake.
With the prime ministerial vote looming, all eyes are on the shifting alliances and backroom negotiations that will determine not only who leads Japan, but also the direction of its government in the face of mounting public dissatisfaction with “money politics.” The coming weeks promise high drama—and perhaps, a new chapter in Japan’s political history.
