Key Facts
• December 23: Osaka LDP Secretary-General Tahei Sugimoto (49) met former Prime Minister and party Vice President Taro Aso (85) in Tokyo.
• Sugimoto emphasized strengthening ties with the party headquarters, recalling weakened Osaka LDP ties under Abe administration.
• Osaka LDP holds only 6 of 79 prefectural assembly seats.
• July Upper House election: LDP candidate Akira Yanagimoto (51) lost by over 130,000 votes to new party candidate.
• Osaka LDP has had 10 different chairpersons since 2024, with short tenures averaging under 1.5 years.
• Osaka is dominated by the Ishin party controlling governor, mayor, and majorities in both prefectural and city assemblies.
• Multiple LDP officials warn of collapse of dual-representation system where mayor and assembly majority are from same party.
• December 10: LDP assembly member Soma Urabe (41) questioned Ishin local lawmakers over possible evasion of National Health Insurance by joining low-cost social insurance via nonprofit directorship.
• Ishin Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura (50) ordered urgent investigation of all party assembly members.
• The “National Health Insurance evasion” issue is under national Diet scrutiny and may expand depending on Ishin’s findings.
• Sugimoto believes Osaka LDP revival will take 30 years, focusing on grassroots engagement and increasing local assembly members.
• Strategy includes deepening cooperation with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (64) and gradually closing gap with Ishin.
Summary
The Osaka branch of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is attempting a political comeback despite holding only 6 of 79 prefectural assembly seats. After a significant defeat in the July Upper House election, where their candidate lost by over 130,000 votes, the LDP leadership under Secretary-General Tahei Sugimoto is focusing on strengthening ties with the national party headquarters and rebuilding local support. The Ishin party currently dominates Osaka’s political landscape, controlling the governor’s office, mayoralty, and assembly majorities, leading to concerns about the collapse of the dual-representation system designed to provide checks and balances. A recent scandal involving Ishin lawmakers allegedly evading National Health Insurance payments by joining social insurance through nonprofit directorships has intensified scrutiny, with Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura ordering an investigation. The LDP sees this as an opportunity to reassert its role, though rebuilding will be a long-term effort requiring grassroots engagement and cooperation with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The party aims to gradually increase local assembly members and close the gap with Ishin to regain influence in Osaka politics.
