Koizumi–Yoshimura Meeting Fuels Talk of LDP-Ishin Coalition Amid Ishiba Pressure

Japanese Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi spent about three hours touring the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo site on 21 August with Osaka Governor and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura. The two politicians, both known for advocating market-oriented reforms such as ride-sharing services, praised each other before reporters, underscoring what Koizumi called Yoshimura’s “spirit of reform.” Their public display of cooperation has intensified speculation that Ishin could join the ruling Liberal Democratic–Komeito coalition. Koizumi, viewed within the Liberal Democratic Party as a leading contender to succeed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, told journalists he is willing to work with “any party” to advance policies voters demand. Yoshimura repeated that Ishin is not currently considering coalition talks but urged the LDP to clarify its leadership and present a coherent reform agenda before any partnership can be discussed. The maneuvering comes as Ishiba faces renewed pressure after the LDP’s poor showing in July’s Upper House election. The party has postponed its formal post-mortem of the defeat to early September because of Ishiba’s packed schedule of international summits, effectively pushing back any decision on whether he should step down. Opposition forces are also reassessing their positions: the Constitutional Democratic Party convened lawmakers on 22 August to debate its own election performance, with several participants calling for accountability from party executives. The fluid alignments underline a broader volatility in Japanese politics as lawmakers search for a viable post-Ishiba configuration.