LDP and JIP agree on coalition, clearing path for Takaichi to become PM.

Oct 2025 : The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan Innovation Party (JIP) agreed to form a coalition on Monday (20th October, 2025), making it almost certain that LDP President Sanae Takaichi, who has been struggling to find a new ally, will become Japan’s first female Prime Minister on Tuesday, the 21st October, 2025.

Leaders of the two party — Sanae Takaichi and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, are expected to meet today evening to formally sign a coalition agreement.

With the deal, lawmakers of the Japan Innovation Party, which is also known as “Nippon Ishin no Kai” are expected to vote for Takaichi in Tuesday’s parliamentary vote for Prime Minister. The JIP has 35 members in the Lower House and 19 in the Upper House.

Both parties are set to agree to jointly push for creating a secondary capital, with the JIP’s pet policy of making its Osaka base Japan’s second capital in mind, while slashing 10% of the overall number of lawmakers in parliament and reforming the nation’s social security system. The prospect of forming a coalition with the LDP was widely accepted by JIP lawmakers.

“There was not a single cautious, opposing or critical opinion”, the JIP’s parliamentary leader, Fumitake Fujita, told reporters after party executives met Sunday. On the otherside, Takaichi has said she is offering “several ministerial posts” to the JIP, which will deepen its commitment to the coalition, but the party has been hesitant to take her up on that offer.

Meanwhile, Fujita has declined to comment on whether the party will accept the Cabinet posts, while former party leader Nobuyuki Baba told reporters that none of the participants in Sunday’s meeting were in favour of, having any of its member take up a ministerial post in Takaichi’s administration.

Team Maverick