![LDP launching conventin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/LDP_launching_conventin.jpg)
are an accepted part of the
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (自由民主党 ''Jiyū-Minshutō''), the ruling party of Japan, which began with eight formal factions when it was first formed by merger in 1955.
A
political faction
A political faction is a group of individuals that share a common political purpose but differs in some respect to the rest of the entity. A faction within a group or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, "parties within a party," ...
may be defined as a sub-group within a larger organization. While factions characterize other political parties in Pacific Asia, Japanese factionalism is distinguished by its stability and institutionalization. Although factions reconstitute themselves from time to time, the ''habatsu'' active today can be traced back to their 1955 roots, a testament to the stability and institutionalized nature of Liberal Democratic Party factions.
Faction leaders offer their followers services without which the followers would find it difficult to survive politically. Leaders provide funds for the day-to-day operation of Diet members' offices and staff as well as financial support during expensive election campaigns. The operating allowances provided by the government are inadequate, even after the introduction of public funding in 1994. The leader also introduces his followers to influential bureaucrats and business people, thus helping faction members respond to their constituents' needs.
Hatoyama–Yoshida rivalry (1946–1955)
![Hatoyama_gets_the_bad_news](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Hatoyama_gets_the_bad_news.jpg)
The LDP ''habatsu'' begin in the precursor parties and political developments during the
Occupation period. Although
Ichirō Hatoyama
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1954 to 1956. A conservative, Hatoyama helped oversee the 1955 merger of the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party to create the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), of which Hatoyam ...
led his
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
to victory in the
1946 Japanese general election (10 April), before he could assume power, he was purged by the
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers
was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) to the Japanese government, aiming to suppress its "milit ...
as someone who had too many connections with the militarist past. Hatoyama handed control of the party to
Shigeru Yoshida
(22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954. Yoshida was one of the longest-serving Japanese prime ministers, and is the third-long ...
, who promised to hand the reins back when Hatoyama was rehabilitated. Unlike Hatoyama, who came from a family of politicians, Yoshida was a bureaucrat, and packed the party with bureaucrats, giving rise to ''kanryo'' (bureaucrat) and ''tojin'' (party man) factions. Hatoyama was depurged on 6 August 1951, only to find Yoshida unwilling to yield control. Thus on 24 November 1954 Hatoyama helped form a new
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
through a merger of a faction of Hatoyama loyalists who defected from Yoshida's party, and the
Kaishintō
The Kaishintō ( ja, 改進党, lit. ''Reformist Party'') was a political party in Japan.
History
The party was established on 8 February 1952 as a merger of the National Democratic Party and the Shinsei Club, together with most of the Farmers ...
(Reform Party). In 1955, when the Liberal Party (Yoshida) and the Democratic Party (Hatoyama) merged to form the Liberal Democratic Party, each party brought with it four factions, for a total of eight factions in the new party.
This begins the "
1955 System", namely, decades of LDP domination of Japanese politics.
Historical factions
Historically, the most powerful and aggressive faction leader in the LDP was
Kakuei Tanaka
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives from 1947 Japanese general election, 1947 to 1990 Japanese general election, 1990, and was Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974.
After ...
, whose Mokuyo Club factions dual-house strength in the early 1980s exceeded 110. His followers remained loyal despite the fact that he had been convicted of receiving ¥500 million (nearly US$4 million) in bribes from Lockheed (the
Lockheed scandal
The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed a series of bribes and contributions made by officials of U.S. aerospace company Lockheed from the late 1950s to the 1970s in the process of negotiating the sale of aircraft.
The scandal caused consid ...
) to facilitate the purchase of its passenger aircraft by
All Nippon Airways
, also known as ANA (''Ē-enu-ē'') or is an airline in Japan. Its headquarters are located in Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area of Minato ward of Tokyo. It operates services to both domestic and international destinations and had mo ...
and that he had formally withdrawn from the LDP. Tanaka and his most bitter factional rival,
Takeo Fukuda
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1976 to 1978.
Early life and education
Fukuda was born in Gunma, capital of the Gunma Prefecture on 14 January 1905. He hailed from a former samurai family and his father was mayor ...
, were a study in contrasts. Tanaka was a roughhewn wheeler-dealer with a primary school education who had made a fortune in the
construction industry
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and come ...
; Fukuda was an elite product of the
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...
Law Faculty and a career bureaucrat.
In the face of Fukuda's strong opposition, Tanaka engineered the selections of prime ministers
Masayoshi Ōhira
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1978 to 1980. Ōhira's time in office was cut short when he died in office; he remains the most recent Japanese Prime Minister to die in office.
Early life
Masayoshi Ōhira was bo ...
(1978–80) and
Zenkō Suzuki
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1980 to 1982. He was the last prime minister to have been born in the Meiji era.
Early life and education
Suzuki was born on 11 January 1911, Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, the eldest ...
(1980–82). The accession of
Yasuhiro Nakasone
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1982 to 1987. He was a member of the House of Representatives for more than 50 years. He was best known for pushing through the ...
to the prime ministership in 1982 would also not have occurred without Tanaka's support. As a result, Nakasone, at that time a politically weak figure, was nicknamed "Tanakasone". But Tanaka's faction was dealt a grave blow when one of his subordinates,
Noboru Takeshita
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1987 to 1989 during the bubble economy.
Takeshita led the largest faction at the time in the Liberal Democratic Party, which he inherited from Kakuei Tanaka, from the 1980s ...
, decided to form a breakaway group.
The LDP faction system was closely fitted to the House of Representatives' medium-sized, multiple-member election districts. The party usually ran more than one candidate in each of these constituencies to maintain its lower house majority, and these candidates were from different factions. During an election campaign, the LDP, in a real sense, ran not only against the opposition but also against itself. In fact, intraparty competition within one election district was often more bitter than interparty competition, with two or more LDP candidates vying for the same block of conservative votes. For example, in the
House of Representatives election of February 18, 1990, three LDP and three opposition candidates competed for five seats in a southwestern prefecture. Two of the LDP candidates publicly expressed bitterness over the entry of the third, a son of the prefectural governor. Local television showed supporters of one of the LDP candidates cheering loudly when the governor's son was edged out for the fifth seat by a
Komeito
, formerly New Komeito and abbreviated NKP, is a conservative political party in Japan founded by lay members of the Buddhist Japanese new religious movement Soka Gakkai in 1964. Since 2012, it has served in government as the junior coalitio ...
candidate.
List of major historical factions
The LDP's factions can loosely be grouped into two main currents. They developed in the years following the "conservative merger" (''hoshu gōdō'') of 1955 when
Shigeru Yoshida
(22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954. Yoshida was one of the longest-serving Japanese prime ministers, and is the third-long ...
's
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
and
Ichirō Hatoyama
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1954 to 1956. A conservative, Hatoyama helped oversee the 1955 merger of the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party to create the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), of which Hatoyam ...
's
Japan Democratic Party united to form the LDP. Factions of former Liberals are called "conservative mainstream" (保守本流, ''hoshu honryū'') while the factions of former Democrats "conservative anti-mainstream" (保守傍流, ''hoshu bōryū''). It is known that "conservative mainstream" belongs to a relatively (especially in matters related to nationalism)
moderate factions compared to "conservative anti-mainstream".
Present-day factions and leaders (as of April 2022) in bold.
Ex-Liberals ("conservative mainstream")
* "Yoshida school" (''Yoshida gakkō'') centered around ex-bureaucrats loyal to Yoshida
**
Kōchikai
is a leading faction within Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), founded by bureaucrat-turned-politician Ikeda Hayato in 1957. Currently headed by Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, it has produced five prime ministers (Ikeda, Masayoshi ...
(
Ikeda Ikeda may refer to:
* Ikeda (surname), a Japanese surname
* Ikeda (comics), a character in ''Usagi Yojimbo''
* Ikeda clan, a Japanese clan
* Ikeda map, chaotic attractor
* ''Ikeda'' (annelid) a genus of the family Ikedidae
Places
* Ikeda, Osaka i ...
→
Maeo →
Ōhira →
Suzuki
is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
→
Miyazawa →
Katō faction), split following the "Katō rebellion" (''Katō no ran'') against party president
Yoshirō Mori
is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between April 2000 and April 2001. He was unpopular in opinion polls during his time in office, and is known for making controversial statements, both during and after his ...
in 2000
*** Kōchikai (
Katō →
Ozato →
Tanigaki faction) of Katō loyalists, remerged into the other Kōchikai in 2008
*** Kōchikai (
Horiuchi →
Niwa
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA ( mi, Taihoro Nukurangi), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental scien ...
-
Koga
KOGA is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer based in Heerenveen, Friesland. The company is known for its long time partnership with Japanese frame manufacturer Miyata, producing bicycles and sponsoring racing teams under the brand name Koga Miyata. As ...
→ Koga →
Kishida
is a Japanese politician serving as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. A member of the House of Representatives, he previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and ...
faction), voted against Katō's no-confidence motion in 2000, later reunited under Koga
*** Taiyūkai (
Kōno Kōno, Kono or Kouno (written: 河野, 幸野, 高野 or 甲野) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Kōno Bairei (1844–1895), Japanese painter, book illustrator and art teacher
*Kōno Hironaka (1849–1923), Japanese ...
faction) → Ikōkai (
Asō faction) → Shikokai (
Asō faction), formed by supporters of a second term for Yōhei Kōno in the LDP presidential election of 1995 from the Miyazawa faction
** Mokuyō Kenkyūkai → Shūzankai → Mokuyō Club → Keiseikai → Heisei Kenkyūkai (
Satō
is the most common Japanese surname, often romanized as Sato, Satoh or Satou. A less common variant is . Notable people with the surname include:
*, Japanese actress and voice actress
*, Japanese actress
*, Japanese judoka
*, Japanese writer
* ...
→
Tanaka →
Takeshita →
Obuchi →
Hashimoto →
Tsushima →
Nukaga →
Takeshita →
Motegi faction)
*** Shūzan Club (
Hori faction), merged into the anti-mainstream's Fukuda faction
*** Kaikaku Forum 21 (
Hata faction), split off the Takeshita faction in 1992 following the Sagawa Express scandal, voted with the opposition in a no-confidence motion against
Kiichi Miyazawa
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1991 to 1993. He was a member of the National Diet of Japan for over 50 years.
Early life and education
Miyazawa was born into a wealthy, politically active family in Fukuyama ...
in 1993 and subsequently left the LDP to form the
Japan Renewal Party
The was a Japanese political party that existed in the early 1990s. It was founded in 1993 by 44 members of the Liberal Democratic Party led by Tsutomu Hata and Ichirō Ozawa. It was instrumental in ending the LDP's 38-year dominance of Japanese ...
making the LDP lose its lower house majority ahead of the
1993 general election
** Suiyōkai (
Ogata →
Ishii faction)
* Hatoyama supporters
** Hakuseikai (
Ōno
ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to:
Places Fiji
* Ono Island (Fiji)
Israel
* Kiryat Ono
* Ono, Benjamin, ancient site
Italy
* Ono San Pietro
Ivory Coast
* Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District
Japan
* Ōno Castle, Fukuoka
* ...
faction), split into the
Murakami →
Mizuta faction and the
Funada faction, both groups disappeared
Ex-Democrats ("conservative anti-mainstream")
* Hatoyama supporters
** Tōkakai → Tōfū Ishin Renmei (
Kishi faction) → Yōkakai → Seiwakai → Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai (
Fukuda →
Abe
Abe or ABE may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Shinzo Abe (1954–2022), former Prime Minister of Japan
* Abe (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname
* Abe (surname), a list of people a ...
→
Mitsuzuka →
Mori
Mori is a Japanese and Italian surname, and also a Persian pet name for Morteza. It is also the name of two clans in Japan, and one clan in India.
Italian surname
*Barbara Mori, Uruguayan-Mexican actress
* Camilo Mori, Chilean painter
* Cesare ...
→
Machimura →
Hosoda →
Abe
Abe or ABE may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Shinzo Abe (1954–2022), former Prime Minister of Japan
* Abe (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname
* Abe (surname), a list of people a ...
faction)
*** Aiseikai (
Fujiyama
, or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highes ...
faction), formed to support Fujiyama's (unsuccessful) runs in the LDP presidential elections of the 1960s
*** Kōyū Club (
Kawashima →
Shiina Shiina or Shīna (written: 椎名) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*, Japanese manga artist
*, Japanese figure skater
*, Japanese model and actress
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese voice actress and singer
*, Japan ...
), split off from the Kishi faction in 1962, dissolved after Shiina's resignation
** Shunjūkai (
Kōno Kōno, Kono or Kouno (written: 河野, 幸野, 高野 or 甲野) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Kōno Bairei (1844–1895), Japanese painter, book illustrator and art teacher
*Kōno Hironaka (1849–1923), Japanese ...
faction) → Shinsei Dōshikai → Seisaku Kagaku Kenkyūjo (
Nakasone →
Watanabe
Watanabe ( and other variantsSee #Miscellaneous) is a Japanese surname derived from the noble and samurai Watanabe clan, a branch of the Minamoto clan, descending from the Emperor Saga (786-842), the 52nd Emperor of Japan, and refers to a loca ...
faction), without a clear leader following Watanabe's death in 1995, merged with the Kamei group after the formation of Taku Yamasaki's independent faction in 1998
*** Shunjūkai (Kōno →
Mori
Mori is a Japanese and Italian surname, and also a Persian pet name for Morteza. It is also the name of two clans in Japan, and one clan in India.
Italian surname
*Barbara Mori, Uruguayan-Mexican actress
* Camilo Mori, Chilean painter
* Cesare ...
→
Sonoda faction), merged into the Fukuda faction after Sonoda had died in 1984
*** Kinmirai Seiji Kenkyūkai (
Yamasaki →
Ishihara →
Moriyama faction)
*** Shisuikai (
Murakami →
Etō →
Kamei →
Ibuki →
Nikai faction), formed by the remaining Ex-Watanabe faction members and a breakaway group from the Mitsuzuka faction led by Kamei
** Kayōkai (
Ishibashi faction) → Futsukakai (
Ishida faction), merged into the Miki faction in 1971
* former
Kaishintō
The Kaishintō ( ja, 改進党, lit. ''Reformist Party'') was a political party in Japan.
History
The party was established on 8 February 1952 as a merger of the National Democratic Party and the Shinsei Club, together with most of the Farmers ...
(Progressive Party)
** Seisaku Kondankai (
Miki
Miki may refer to:
Places
*Miki, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
*Miki, Kagawa, a town in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan
*Miki, Azerbaijan, a village in Astara Rayon, Azerbaijan
People
*Miki (given name)
*Miki (surname)
*Miki Núñez (born ...
-
Matsumura faction) →
Banchō Seisaku Kenkyūjo (Miki faction) → Shin-seisaku Kenkyūkai (
Kōmoto faction) →
Banchō Seisaku Kenkyūjo (
Kōmura →
Ōshima →
Santō faction) → Shikokai (
Asō faction), merged with Asō's faction Ikōkai to form Shikōkai in 2017.
Others
* Jiyū Kakushin Dōmei (
Nakagawa →
Ishihara faction), merged into the Fukuda faction
* Atarashii Nami (
Nikai faction), faction of former members of the
New Conservative Party New Conservative Party (or similar names) may refer to:
* New Conservative Party (UK), 1960–1962
* New Conservative Group, Australia, 1991–1992
* New Conservative Party (Japan), 2000–2003
* New Zealand Conservative Party, 1996-c.1998
* New C ...
, merged into the Ibuki faction in 2009
Current factions
There are currently five major factions and two minor factions in the LDP; and while most factions have official titles, in the Japanese media they are usually referred to by the names of their current leaders. From most to least powerful, they are:
Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai (清和政策研究会, Seiwa Policy Research Council)
The largest faction of the LDP was led by former prime minister
Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Lib ...
until his assassination in 2022, replacing ex-Chief Cabinet Secretary
Hiroyuki Hosoda
is a Japanese politician who has served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan since November 2021. He is also a member of the House of Representatives since 1990, and served as Chief Cabinet Secretary in Junichiro Koizumi's ...
on 11 November 2021 who became the new Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The faction's founder was
Takeo Fukuda
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1976 to 1978.
Early life and education
Fukuda was born in Gunma, capital of the Gunma Prefecture on 14 January 1905. He hailed from a former samurai family and his father was mayor ...
in 1962. It is a pro-
classical economics
Classical economics, classical political economy, or Smithian economics is a school of thought in political economy that flourished, primarily in Britain, in the late 18th and early-to-mid 19th century. Its main thinkers are held to be Adam Smith ...
, nationalist (it includes many
Japanese Neoconservatives) and conservative faction. Shinzo Abe's deceased father
Shintaro Abe
was a Japanese politician from Yamaguchi Prefecture. He was a leading member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He served as foreign minister from 1982 to 1986. He was the father of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Early life and ...
was an ex-leader of this faction (1986–1991). Ex-Prime Ministers
Jun'ichirō Koizumi and
Yoshirō Mori
is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between April 2000 and April 2001. He was unpopular in opinion polls during his time in office, and is known for making controversial statements, both during and after his ...
also formerly led the faction. As of 2004 it has overtaken the Hashimoto faction in the more powerful Lower House, and after the 2007 Councilor's election, the Seiwa Political-analysis Council has become the largest faction in the party.
* Supported by the
Japan Business Federation
The is an economic organization founded in May 2002 by amalgamation of Keidanren (, Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, established 1946; name sometimes used alone as abbreviation for whole organization) and Nikkeiren (, Japan Federatio ...
, established
bureaucracy
The term bureaucracy () refers to a body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group. Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected offi ...
,
Japan War-Bereaved Families Association
The is an association in Japan that was set up to represent the interests of relatives of deceased war veterans in the Second World War. Its headquarters are in Kudanminami, Tokyo. The group supports visits to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo to pay res ...
.
* This faction promotes decreasing taxes for high income taxpayers and large companies, maintaining a strong alliance with the United States, visits to
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, 1894–1895 and 1937–1945 resp ...
in order to garner support from nationalist voters without any
special interest payments, reforming the constitution to support a standing military, free trade for car exports, and gradual privatization of
Japan Post
was a Japanese statutory corporation that existed from 2003 to 2007, offering postal and package delivery services, Retail banking, banking services, and life insurance. It's the nation's largest employer, with over 400,000 employees, and run ...
.
* 1948 GHQ changed their policy from anti-fascist to anti-communist, and released
Nobusuke Kishi
was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960.
Known for his exploitative rule of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Northeast China in the 1930s, Kishi was nicknamed the "Monster of the Shō ...
(
Class A war criminal, a member of
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tojo (, ', December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician, general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and convicted war criminal who served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Imperial Rule Assista ...
's Militarist Cabinet, father-in-law of
Shintarō Abe and grandfather of
Shinzō Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
) from Sugamo Prison. Kishi later founded the Japan Democratic Party (no relation to the 21st century incarnation)
* The faction was in the minority, with a Heisei Seisaku Kenkyukai and Kochikai majority from 1960 to 1990 but because of a failure of the Heisei Seisaku Kenkyukai and Kochikai leadership it led the LDP from 2002 to 2008, mainly under
Jun'ichirō Koizumi.
* Founded by Nobusuke Kishi. Succeeded by
Takeo Fukuda
was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1976 to 1978.
Early life and education
Fukuda was born in Gunma, capital of the Gunma Prefecture on 14 January 1905. He hailed from a former samurai family and his father was mayor ...
,
Jun'ichirō Koizumi,
Shinzō Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
,
Yasuo Fukuda
is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving in that role from 2000 to 2004 under Prime Ministers Yoshirō M ...
.
Shikōkai (志公会)
This faction is the third largest faction, led by
Tarō Asō
is a Japanese politician serving as the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. Asō previously served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009 and as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and Minister of Finance from 2 ...
, the former Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister and current LDP Vice-President. It was established in 2017 by merging the following two factions:
Ikōkai (為公会)
Formerly led by
Yōhei Kōno
is a Japanese politician and a former President of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2003 until August 2009, when the LDP lost its majority in the 2009 election. Kōno served as sp ...
, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009. Once part of the former Katō faction, though this group split off during the mid-1990s. It is more critical to Koizumi and more reformist and pro-Chinese than the Machimura faction’s classical economics conservative nationalists. It is now known as the Former Kono Faction because the resignation of the faction chief and the inability of the faction to decide on a new leader.
Banchō Seisaku Kenkyūjo (番町政策研究所, Banchō Policy Research Institute)
Formerly led by
Masahiko Komura. 'Banchō Seisaku Kenkyūjo' and 'Ikōkai' are close. As Komura retired, leadership was handed to
Tadamori Ōshima
is a Japanese politician served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he previously served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Minist ...
before he took the role of House of Representatives Speaker in 2015. In turn, his replacement,
Akiko Santō
is a Japanese politician who served as the President of the House of Councillors of Japan from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, she previously served as the Vice President of the House of Councillors from 2007 to 2010.
...
became the first ever female faction head. However, with few faction members, Santo was unable to exercise a great deal of influence over intra-party affairs, so she decided to join forces by merging hers with Aso's faction in 2017.
Notable members of the Shikōkai faction are
Taro Kono
is a Japanese politician serving as the Minister of Digital Affairs of Japan since August 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he previously served as Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform from 2015 to 2016 and fro ...
, the 2021 LDP leadership candidate and son of
Yōhei Kōno
is a Japanese politician and a former President of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2003 until August 2009, when the LDP lost its majority in the 2009 election. Kōno served as sp ...
, and
Akira Amari
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a member of the lower house representing the Minami Kanto Bloc.
Personal life
Amari is a native of Atsugi, Kanagawa, where he attended Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi High Schoo ...
, former LDP secretary general (who currently holds a proportional block seat after losing in his own constituency in the 2021 election).
Heisei Kenkyūkai (平成研究会, Heisei Research Council)
The second largest faction is led by current LDP Secretary General
Toshimitsu Motegi
is a Japanese politician and diplomat who currently serves as the Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party. He has previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021, and as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry fr ...
, following the death of
Wataru Takeshita
was a Minister for Reconstruction and a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kakeya, Shimane and graduate of Keio University he wa ...
who was chairman from 2018 until his death in September 2021. Takeshita previously replaced
Fukushiro Nukaga
is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1983 and represents Ibaraki's 2nd district.[Ryutaro Hashimoto
was a Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1996 to 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politi ...]
, and previously the faction was known as the
Takeshita Faction(経世会,Keiseikai), of former prime minister
Noboru Takeshita
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1987 to 1989 during the bubble economy.
Takeshita led the largest faction at the time in the Liberal Democratic Party, which he inherited from Kakuei Tanaka, from the 1980s ...
(the recently deceased faction head, Wataru Takeshita is his younger brother).
It is a
Keynesian
Keynesian economics ( ; sometimes Keynesianism, named after British economist John Maynard Keynes) are the various macroeconomic theories and models of how aggregate demand (total spending in the economy) strongly influences economic output and ...
, right-liberal and pro-China faction. It has strong influence on bureaucrats. Ex-PM Hashimoto and the entire faction were hit with a scandal where the faction had apparently taken money from the
Japan Dental Association
is a Japanese aggregate corporation whose membership consists of 72% percent of all dentists in Japan. The corporation was established in 1903 by dentist Kisai Takayama and others in order to promote the interests of dentists and their patients.
...
. Hashimoto resigned as chairman of the faction in 2004 and retired from politics the following year. Possible replacements included
Kosuke Hori,
Fumio Kyuma
Fumio (written: , , , , , , , or in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese illustrator
*Fumio Abe (1922–2006), Japanese politician
*Fumio Asaki, Japanese ski jumping sports official
*, J ...
,
Takao Fujii
is a Japanese politician, an independent and member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Shirakawa, Gifu and graduate of Seijo University, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 19 ...
, and
Fukushiro Nukaga
is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1983 and represents Ibaraki's 2nd district.[Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi (; , ''Koizumi Jun'ichirō'' ; born 8 January 1942) is a former Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2009. He is ...]
, it was split with members who supported Koizumi and a minority of the faction who did not. It was also observed that leaders of this faction were unable to maintain factional unity, particularly during the LDP presidential election of 2018.
Because it was the largest in numbers, the accusation of influence peddling and
pork-barrel politics is rife. It is a descendant of the Tanaka faction.
* Supported by local farmers, the construction industry,
blue-collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
workers, the defense industry,
Japan Post
was a Japanese statutory corporation that existed from 2003 to 2007, offering postal and package delivery services, Retail banking, banking services, and life insurance. It's the nation's largest employer, with over 400,000 employees, and run ...
workers, and
discriminated village peoples.
* This faction led economic development from 1960 to 1988. They promote international cooperation with China and Korea, a Gasoline Tax, construction of Highways/
Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...
(Bullet Train), and protection of small farmers, Japan Post workers and discriminated peoples.
* Founded by diplomat
Shigeru Yoshida
(22 September 1878 – 20 October 1967) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954. Yoshida was one of the longest-serving Japanese prime ministers, and is the third-long ...
. Succeeded by
Eisaku Satō
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1972. He is the third-longest serving Prime Minister, and ranks second in longest uninterrupted service as Prime Minister.
Satō entered the National Diet in 1949 as a membe ...
,
Kakuei Tanaka
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives from 1947 Japanese general election, 1947 to 1990 Japanese general election, 1990, and was Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974.
After ...
,
Takeshita Noboru,
Shin Kanemaru
Shin Kanemaru (金丸 信 ''Kanemaru Shin'', 17 September 1914 – 28 March 1996) was a Japanese politician who was a significant figure in the political arena of Japan from the 1970s to the early 1990s. He was also Director General of the Japa ...
,
Obuchi Keizo,
Tanisuke Watanuki,
Ryutaro Hashimoto
was a Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1996 to 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politi ...
,
Yuji Tsushima,
Fukushiro Nukaga
is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1983 and represents Ibaraki's 2nd district.[Wataru Takeshita
was a Minister for Reconstruction and a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kakeya, Shimane and graduate of Keio University he wa ...]
.
Kōchikai (宏池会)
Since 2012, the faction has been led by
Fumio Kishida
is a Japanese politician serving as Prime Minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. A member of the House of Representatives, he previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and ...
, the current LDP leader and Prime Minister.
Mitsuo Horiuchi
was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Misaka, Yamanashi
Map of former Misaka Town
was a town located in Higashiyatsushiro Distri ...
was co-leader until he temporarily left the faction in October 2006. This group was under the leadership of
Koichi Kato until a split in 2001, after Kato led a failed revolt against the prime minister
Yoshirō Mori
is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between April 2000 and April 2001. He was unpopular in opinion polls during his time in office, and is known for making controversial statements, both during and after his ...
which backfired and damaged his grip over the faction. It is moderate on internal and foreign affairs but more conservative and critical to Mr. Koizumi but still moderately nationalist, and more successful than the section led by Kato. This faction historically has been the most prestigious faction, with many of its members drawn from the upper-ranks of the elite bureaucracy.
* Supported by the established Liberal party of the
bureaucracy
The term bureaucracy () refers to a body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group. Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected offi ...
,
white-collar workers, doctors, small merchants and small factory people.
* This faction led economic development from 1960 to 1988. They promote international cooperation with China and Korea, a Government bond/Consumption Tax for National Medical care and National Banks which financially support small firms, as well as Free trade Policy.
* Founded by bureaucrat-turned-politician
Hayato Ikeda
was a Japanese bureaucrat and later politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1960 to 1964. He is best known for his Income Doubling Plan, which promised to double Japan's GDP in ten years.
Ikeda is also known for repairing U.S.-J ...
. Succeeded by
Kiichi Miyazawa
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1991 to 1993. He was a member of the National Diet of Japan for over 50 years.
Early life and education
Miyazawa was born into a wealthy, politically active family in Fukuyama ...
,
Sadakazu Tanigaki
is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2016, as Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2006, as President of the Liberal Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2012, as Minist ...
, and
Makoto Koga
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) and formerly Minister of Transport. A native of Setaka, Fukuoka and graduate of Nihon University, he was elect ...
.
Shisuikai (志帥会)
Currently led by
Toshihiro Nikai who stepped down as LDP Secretary General in 2021. It is considered by many to be the most right-wing grouping among the major factions, though it is Keynesian and Right liberal in general and pro-International cooperation. This faction has effectively been weakened since
Shizuka Kamei
is a former Japanese politician and a former chairman of the Parliamentary League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty.
Early life
He was born in the city of Shōbara in Hiroshima Prefecture into a poor family. He studied at the department o ...
and other members left the party to establish the
People's New Party
The People's New Party (国民新党 ''Kokumin Shintō'', PNP) was a Japanese political party formed on August 17, 2005 in the aftermath of the defeat of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Japan Post privatisation bills which led to a snap electi ...
in opposition to Koizumi's
postal privatisation bills
was a Japanese statutory corporation that existed from 2003 to 2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. It's the nation's largest employer, with over 400,000 employees, and runs 24,700 pos ...
.
Kinmirai Seiji Kenkyūkai (近未来政治研究会)
Formerly led by
Nobuteru Ishihara
is a Japanese politician who was Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2010 to 2012.
He was born in Zushi, Kanagawa, the son of author and former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara. He attended Keio Gijuku High School and gradu ...
until he lost his seat in the 2021 general election. Currently,
Hiroshi Moriyama is the chairman.'Kinmirai Seiji Kenkyūkai' and 'Shisuikai' are close.
Ishihara was unsuccessful in expanding the faction’s membership. As he previously was a strong challenger against Shinzo Abe for the leadership of the LDP in 2012, the faction did not enjoy a great deal of influence in intra-party machinations.
Suigetsukai (水月会)
Led by
Shigeru Ishiba
is a Japanese politician. Ishiba is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and is the leader of the ''Suigetsukai'' party faction, and a member of the ''Heisei Kenkyūkai'' faction, which was then led by Fukushiro Nukaga, until 201 ...
, who was a member of ''Heisei Kenkyūkai'' until 2011.
As of December 2021, the faction has since been reorganised into a looser grouping,
with only 12 members.
Ishiba had long stood against factionalism in the LDP, but he formed his own faction to increase his support base. He started an informal group of 20 independents that met regularly, before Ishiba relented and finally formed his faction at the members’ behest. This small but steady group continued to rally behind Ishiba since its formation in 2015, but Ishiba’s failure to win the party presidency in 2020 contributed to his decision to step down as faction head. Following a decrease in members after the 2021 Lower House election, the Ishiba faction downgraded itself to the less formalized "group."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Factions In The Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
Political party factions in Japan