Komeito Admits Crisis, Secretary-General Resigns After Election Setback

Komeito, the junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition, acknowledged a critical situation for the party in an election review document adopted on Thursday. Following the document's adoption, Secretary-General Makoto Nishida tendered his resignation to party leader Tetsuo Saito, according to sources.

Nishida, who has served four terms in the House of Councillors, took on the role of Secretary-General in September of the previous year. He continued in this position even after the party experienced a loss of seats in the House of Representatives election held last October.

The July Upper House election saw Komeito secure only eight seats, marking the lowest number since the party's inception. The review document highlighted the party's failure to broaden its support base among the working generation, young people, and independent voters.

The document acknowledged a sense of voter rejection towards established parties, stating that the trend towards multiparty politics has begun in Japan. It attributed the poor election results, in part, to the party's endorsement of candidates from its coalition partner, the Liberal Democratic Party, who were implicated in a political funds scandal.

Komeito pledged to fulfill its role as a responsible centrist reform force, emphasizing that reforms that simply extend existing policies are inadequate. The party intends to prioritize efforts to connect with young people, recognizing the aging demographic of its primary supporter, the lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai. Plans include establishing a student division and considering an organization to cultivate female and young candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives election.

Nishida acknowledged the party's insufficient online engagement with young people during a press conference.