Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai (, Seiwa Political Research Council), often shortened to Seiwa Kai, was a major faction within Japan's

Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

(LDP). It was led by

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

from 2021 until his

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

in 2022, and hence has been nicknamed the Abe faction. Since Abe's death, it had collective leadership. The faction announced its dissolution in January 2024. Seiwakai was the largest faction within the LDP from 2005 until its dissolution.

History

The faction was established in 1979 by former prime minister

Takeo Fukuda was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1976 to 1978. Born in Gunma Prefecture and educated at Tokyo Imperial University, Fukuda served as an official in the Ministry of Finance for two decades before entering pol ...

. The faction has its origins on a group formed by Fukuda to oppose prime minister

Hayato Ikeda was a Japanese 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 the size of Japan's economy in 10 years, and for presiding over the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. ...

's economic policies. The faction was led by

from 2021 until his

in 2022. Since Abe's death, it has had collective leadership. On 17 August 2023, the faction has agreed to introduce a collective leadership system, with Ryū Shionoya as its coordinator, while leaving the previous chairmanship post vacant. In December 2023, news about a slush fund scandal involving several Seiwakai ministers and party bosses, including Yasutoshi Nishimura and

Kōichi Hagiuda is a Japanese people, Japanese politician who served as the Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), Liberal Democratic Party from August 2022 to December 2023. He previously served as Minister of Economy, ...

, leaked. According to initial public allegations, dozens of members of the Diet from the Seiwakai were suspected of collecting at least ¥100 million from fundraising and storing the money in slush funds, in violating of Japanese campaign finance and election law. Prime Minister

Fumio Kishida Fumio Kishida (born 29 July 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP) from 2021 to 2024. He has been a member of the House of Representatives in the National Diet ...

responded by removing all Seiwakai ministers from the cabinet. The

National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Canada: Royal Canadian Mounted Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: National Revolut ...

raided the Seiwakai headquarters later in the month. Amidst the growing scandal, and following Kishida's announcement that he will dissolve his

Kōchikai was a leading faction within Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), founded by bureaucrat-turned-politician Hayato Ikeda in 1957. The faction has produced five prime ministers (Ikeda, Masayoshi Ōhira, Zenkō Suzuki, Kiichi Miyazawa, and Fu ...

faction, the Seiwakai announced on 19 January 2024 that it will dissolve itself.

Political stance

Seiwakai is referred to as a

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

national-conservative National conservatism is a nationalism, nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding National identity, national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist c ...

. It has been characterized as right-leaning, hawkish and favoring constitutional revision.

Seiwa Kai faction heads

''Faction heads who served as prime minister are in bold.''

References

{{Liberal Democratic Party of Japan 1979 establishments in Japan 2024 disestablishments in Japan Conservatism in Japan Japanese nationalism Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) National conservatism Political party factions in Japan category:Shinzo Abe

History

Political stance

Seiwa Kai faction heads

See also

References