Japan opposition turns to two-man contest after historic loss
Japan’s main opposition party formally opened a two-candidate leadership race on Thursday, as it seeks to recover from a heavy defeat in last weekend’s general election, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports, citing Kyodo News.
The centrist Reform Alliance will choose its new leader on Friday in a vote among its lower house lawmakers. The contest pits Junya Ogawa, 54, a former secretary general of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, against Takeshi Shina, 59, the CDPJ's former acting policy chief. The winner will serve through March 2027. No runoff is planned.
The party was formed in January, bringing together members of the CDPJ and Komeito in an effort to realign centrist forces amid what they describe as a rightward shift under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Instead, it suffered a sharp setback, with its representation in the House of Representatives dropping from 167 seats before the campaign to 49.
At the launch of the leadership campaign in Tokyo, Shina said the party must press ahead under a centrist banner “for the sake of democracy and the next generation.” Ogawa focused on economic concerns, calling for efforts to “rebuild livelihoods” and address growing anxiety among households facing rising prices.
The party’s loss has left it the smallest main opposition force in postwar Japan.
Lawmakers were not required to secure endorsements to enter the race, and no candidates emerged from the Komeito side.
Tensions have surfaced over campaign strategy. Komeito was given priority on the proportional representation list, enabling all 28 of its candidates to win seats. CDPJ candidates focused on single-member districts and were largely defeated, with only 7, including Ogawa and Shina, securing constituency victories. Of the party’s 49 lower house members, 21 come from the CDPJ.
The leadership vote follows the decision by co-leaders Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito to step down to take responsibility for the defeat. Komeito ended its 26-year coalition with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in October, shortly after Takaichi became its leader.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Sanae Takaichi was set for re-election as Japanese PM after LDP landslide.
