Key Facts
• July 3: Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura launched campaign in Osaka’s Namba district.
• 2022: Japan Innovation Party won first opposition party status in proportional representation.
• 2025: 19 candidates competing for 4 seats in Osaka election district.
• Party’s internal analysis: Rie Sasaki leads, while Tai Okazaki is on the borderline.
• 115 million proportional votes in 2021, down 30 million from 2022.
• Party calls for “equal vote distribution” among family members to secure two seats.
• July 12-13: Focused support for Okazaki as part of “Okazaki Shift” strategy.
• Opposition parties, including Liberal Democratic Party, struggle to regain lost support.
• Other candidates include Rie Watanabe (Democratic Party for the People) and Chie Miyade (Sanseitō).
• Former Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui notes voter fatigue after over a decade of party dominance.
Summary
The Japan Innovation Party is striving to retain two seats in Osaka during the 2025 House of Councillors election. Facing declining support due to scandals and rising costs for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, the party is urging voters to distribute votes equally between candidates Rie Sasaki and Tai Okazaki. Internal analysis shows Sasaki leading, while Okazaki remains at risk. The party has implemented an “Okazaki Shift” strategy, focusing resources on his campaign. Meanwhile, opposition parties like the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito are also struggling to regain influence in Osaka. With 19 candidates vying for 4 seats, the election is highly competitive, reflecting shifting political dynamics in the region.
