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Former Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) co-leader Shintaro Ishihara says that 22 of the party's 62 Diet members have decided to leave the party and join a new party which he intends to launch in late July.
Ishihara, 81, made the announcement at a news conference late Wednesday night, Fuji TV reported. He said he expects more Japan Restoration Party members to follow him after he and co-leader Toru Hashimoto split over differences in policy.
Ishihara said he has not yet decided on a name for the new party but said its three pillars will be "independence," "new conservatism" and "next generation." He said his party will strive to shake up the stagnant political landscape in Japan.
Meanwhile, Hashimoto is also planning to form a new party, though no details have been announced yet.
The Japan Restoration Party has 53 seats in the 480-seat lower house of the Diet and nine in the 242-seat upper house.
Hashimoto and Ishihara decided to split over differences on a proposed merger with the Unity Party and constitutional reform.
The Unity Party rejects Ishihara’s drive to scrap the U.S.-inspired post-World War II constitution.
Ishihara has long advocated the creation of a new constitution which allows Japan to have strong armed forces which can go to war. The present charter bans the use of force in settling international disputes.
Ishihara’s own Sunrise Party joined Hashimoto’s in late 2012, when he renounced the Tokyo governorship to return to national politics through general elections in which the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) regained power with a landslide victory.
But the two strong characters have differed on important issues including nuclear power.
Ishihara has pushed for the restarting of nuclear reactors which were switched off after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami sparked meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Unity Party leader Kenji Eda said Ishihara’s views on the constitution will hinder a “further reorganization of opposition parties”.
The LDP, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has a solid majority of 295 seats in the lower house and a near-majority 115 seats in the upper house, where it is aligned with the centrist Buddhist-backed New Komeito Party.
© Japan Today/AFP
17 Comments
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some14some
Good news for LDP, will continue to rule unchallenged for numbers of years if not decades.
CrazyJoe
In a nation known for its colorless politicians, few equal Ishihara for chutzpah.
smithinjapan
Since everyone who's quitting is merely joining something else newly formed (or will later, save one or two), what is the point aside from wasting money? Just call it "The Newer Party Than Last Time", and then Hashimoto can form one called, "Nah-Uh! WE Are the Newer Newer Party!" and they can continue their little lover's spat while pretending to be significant.
papigiulio
How many parties is that now created by Ishihara? And still he can get 22 followers, unbelievable.
Mick_Hardwick
Little boys with their little political games. This culture of political musical chairs only adds to the contempt that these people deservedly get. They must be so proud of themselves.
BertieWooster
If you just ignore him, he'll go away.
He only says outrageous things to get attention.
wtfjapan
81 years old and I bet he didnt get a pay decrease when he turned 65. this guy will strive to be PM until his last breath. let hope the last breath comes first.
wanderlust
The New New New Party could be an appropriate name...or the Independent New Conservative Next Generation Party...or following the example of the airline LCCs such as Peach, Vanilla and Solaseed , just the simple Banana Party!
Jimizo
'If you just ignore him, he'll go away.
He only says outrageous things to get attention.'
True, but I think he's comparatively quiet these days. Maybe his racist, misogynistic and downright ugly outbursts are so familiar nowadays they are being treated with indifference like a senile, potty-mouthed old relative with irritable bowel syndrome who embarrasses the family when visitors come. Forming a new party can get him noticed and in the news.
BurakuminDes
Japan Restoration Party
Whilst I agree that Japan is in dire need of restoration, the now senile stroke-victim pensioner Ishihara is not the right person to do it!
BertieWooster
Jimizo,
A pretty good thumbnail description.
It made me smile.
Hiroumi Ozaki
I think it is good for Japanese residents to have more and more parties to reflect their true will. However, I wonder how many of them care of Ishihara-san's action. I think he is always seen negatively biased. I believe this is true among young generations including me. I wish Japan will be a county where youngers can equally play a role in politics in the near future.
Iowan
Who else can't follow J-politics?
globalwatcher
The problem of J. politics is that nobody are really catching up with changes in global world that is very important.
Also, Japanese journalists are just ignorant and pathetic. They repeat the same old domestic trivial stories over and over, often times more than 20 times, while the rest of the world is moving ahead. No wonder Japan is not moving ahead in global competitive market. Ignorant politicians and ignorant journalists are just counter-productive for true democracy. Very disappointed.
EthanWilber
For Ishihara, losing a large chuck of legislature seats after this split will surely make him, Hiroshi Yamada and Nariaki Nakayama look like a group of obsolete and fossilized political figures in distant past. There is little chance for those old guards to genetating interet from next generation.
The whole episode has presented by media outlets like a popularity contest - Nippon Vs. Nihon,and an army of Japanese nationalists might be in a nail-biting state as this highly sensational battle is unfolding.
Politically, It’s hard to be indifferent since Japan’s second-largest opposition party - Japan Restoration Party (Nippon Ossan No Kai ) felled into a target of merger and acquisition.
fxgai
Ishihara drew more numbers than had been expected, but what you've really got now is a nicer split between all the hard-core nationalist folks, and all the reformist folks for who getting Japan going again is most important.
As a result I suspect Hashimoto's party will do proportionately better in upcoming elections than Ishihara's party.
I look forward to Hashimoto's efforts to draw together like-minded, small-government proponents from the other opposition parties and build up a political force as an counter to the big spending government that the LDP represents.