Key Facts
• April 11, 2026: National Democratic Party Tokyo Federation held an extraordinary meeting in Shinjuku.
• Yosuke Mori, House of Representatives member from Tokyo proportional block, elected new chairman.
• February 8, 2026: Former Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member arrested for alleged vote-buying in the House election.
• Former chairman Takayuki Kawai, House of Councillors member, announced intention to resign over the scandal.
• Mori, former Ministry of the Environment official, first elected in October 2024, now serving second term.
• Three people, including former assembly member Nobuko Irie, arrested for paying campaign workers.
• Investigations found no similar violations among 26 other endorsed candidates in Tokyo.
• Mori pledged to strengthen the federation and delegate authority to individual members.
• Mori plans to establish an internal organization to oversee discipline and governance.
Summary
On April 11, 2026, the National Democratic Party Tokyo Federation elected Yosuke Mori as its new chairman during an extraordinary meeting in Shinjuku. This leadership change followed the arrest of former Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member Nobuko Irie and two others on vote-buying charges related to the February 8 House of Representatives election. The previous chairman, Takayuki Kawai, took responsibility and announced his resignation. Mori, a former Ministry of the Environment official and second-term representative, emphasized the need to grow and strengthen the federation. He committed to delegating authority to members and creating a governance body to maintain discipline. Investigations confirmed no similar violations among other party candidates in Tokyo. Mori’s leadership aims to restore trust and reinforce party integrity.
