Key Facts
• August 4, 2025: Hiroshi Moriyama announces resignation as LDP Kagoshima Prefecture Chair after 15 years.
• Moriyama supports Noriyuki Mitazono, a recent LDP member, as his successor.
• Mitazono defeated an LDP-endorsed candidate in the 2021 general election and joined the party in January 2025.
• Wakayama Prefecture LDP expelled Yoshio Mochizuki, who also defeated an LDP-backed candidate in the July 2025 election.
• Young LDP members criticize the inconsistency: Mitazono is promoted, while Mochizuki is expelled.
• Mochizuki, running as an independent, won with support from Hiroshige Seko, despite losing the LDP endorsement to Nobuyasu Nikai.
• Moriyama, close to former Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, did not oppose Mochizuki’s expulsion.
• LDP and Komeito need three more seats for a majority in the House of Councillors.
• Critics argue Moriyama should have worked to reintegrate Mochizuki to strengthen the party.
• Mitazono, a former liberal journalist and governor, shifted alliances to join the LDP in 2025.
Summary
Hiroshi Moriyama, Secretary-General of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), faces criticism for inconsistent treatment of party members. On August 4, 2025, Moriyama announced his resignation as Kagoshima Prefecture Chair, endorsing Noriyuki Mitazono, a recent LDP member, as his successor. Mitazono, who defeated an LDP-backed candidate in 2021, contrasts sharply with Yoshio Mochizuki, expelled by Wakayama Prefecture LDP after a similar victory in July 2025. Critics, including young LDP members, question the fairness of promoting Mitazono while expelling Mochizuki. Mochizuki, supported by Hiroshige Seko, won as an independent after losing the LDP endorsement to Nobuyasu Nikai, son of Toshihiro Nikai, a close ally of Moriyama. With the LDP and Komeito three seats short of a House of Councillors majority, critics argue Moriyama should have sought to reintegrate Mochizuki to strengthen the party. Mitazono’s political journey, from liberal journalist to LDP member, further highlights the controversy. The situation underscores internal divisions and challenges within the LDP’s leadership.
