Key Facts
• June 28: Communist Party candidate Makoto Matsuzaki (67) withdrew from Kagoshima race.
• Matsuzaki endorsed independent candidate Tomomi Otsuji (44), backed by Rikken Minshuto.
• Otsuji declared a decisive break from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
• Otsuji criticized LDP, including her father, for Kagoshima’s economic decline.
• Communist Party requested a joint press conference, but Otsuji declined.
• Rikken Minshuto aimed to avoid alienating conservative voters in Kagoshima.
• Matsuzaki and Otsuji held direct talks to address trust issues.
• Otsuji pledged efforts to repeal collective self-defense laws.
• No formal policy agreement was signed between Otsuji and the Communist Party.
• Communist Party expressed concerns about Otsuji’s political direction.
• Upper House election official campaign period begins in five days.
Summary
In a significant political development ahead of Japan’s Upper House election, Communist Party candidate Makoto Matsuzaki withdrew from the Kagoshima race on June 28, endorsing independent candidate Tomomi Otsuji, who is backed by Rikken Minshuto. Otsuji, a former LDP member, declared a firm break from the party, criticizing its role in Kagoshima’s economic struggles, including her father’s contributions as an LDP lawmaker. Despite the Communist Party’s request for a joint press conference, Otsuji declined, reflecting Rikken Minshuto’s strategy to maintain support among conservative voters. While Otsuji pledged to work toward repealing collective self-defense laws, no formal policy agreement was reached with the Communist Party. The election campaign officially begins in five days, with the impact of this “non-coalition unification” on the race yet to be seen.
