Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of the LDP (right) and Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito. Tokyo Shimbun, EPA=Yonhap News. 

The alliance between Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito, which has lasted since 1999, has collapsed for the first time in 26 years with the emergence of Sanae Takaichi, a hardline conservative, as the new LDP president.

With Komeito leaving the coalition government, in which it had participated for a quarter of a century with the exception of the Democratic Party's rule, Takaichi faces a major crisis even before the formation of a new cabinet. Attention is also being paid to whether this incident will be a full-fledged signal for a reshuffling of the political landscape, as the LDP must now seek a path to independent survival.

According to Kyodo News, NHK, and others, the LDP and Komeito held consultations on forming a coalition government on the 10th but failed to reach an agreement on strengthening regulations for corporate and organizational donations (sponsorships).

Following the meeting, both Takaichi and Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito expressed their dissatisfaction, each claiming that the other side was responsible for the breakdown of their cooperative relationship.

Saito stated, "There were differences in our fundamental stance on political funding," and expressed deep regret over the LDP's insufficient attitude on the issue of sponsorship.

He explained that the full picture of the LDP's "slush fund scandal" has not been revealed, and that there were cases where parliamentary secretaries were indicted. He also pointed out the problem of appointing Koichi Hagiuda, who was involved in the slush funds, as the acting secretary-general of the LDP.

Saito declared, "We will put the alliance between the LDP and Komeito on hold and conclude our relationship up to this point," indicating that they would no longer cooperate with the LDP.

He also revealed that Komeito members would vote for him in the upcoming prime ministerial election.

In response, Takaichi expressed her deep regret, stating that Komeito had unilaterally informed them of their intention to withdraw from the coalition government.

She explained that she had deferred her response on the political funding issue due to internal party procedures and had proposed further negotiations next week, but Saito did not accept it.

Takaichi added that Saito had said, "It would be the same regardless of who was elected (as president)," and stated that she would strive until the extraordinary Diet session convenes to be nominated as prime minister.

Earlier, Komeito had pointed out three issues after Takaichi's inauguration: visits to Yasukuni Shrine, the response to the "slush fund scandal," and excessive xenophobia, demanding solutions.

Saito assessed that on the issues of visiting Yasukuni Shrine and foreigners, "There were many areas where we could share understanding through detailed explanations," but the differences between the two sides on political funding regulations could not be bridged.

Takaichi had stated on NHK the previous day that "the LDP-Komeito alliance is the most fundamental of fundamentals," but her efforts were in vain.

LDP President Sanae Takaichi. Shimbun EPA Yonhap News. 

Although the LDP-Komeito alliance has broken, the LDP remains the largest party in both the House of Representatives (lower house) and the House of Councillors (upper house). The prime ministerial election is conducted separately by the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, and if the results differ, the result of the House of Representatives takes precedence.

Looking at the distribution of parties in the House of Representatives, out of a total of 465 seats, the LDP holds 196, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan 148, Nippon Ishin no Kai 35, the Democratic Party for the People 27, and Komeito 24.

If each party votes for its own leader, Takaichi will be elected as prime minister.

Takaichi is expected to approach the Democratic Party for the People or Nippon Ishin no Kai to form a new coalition government, but it is uncertain whether they will join. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is seen as viewing this situation as an opportunity for a change of government and is expected to call for the unification of opposition parties.

The Asahi Shimbun noted that "the Diet has fallen into a very complex situation" and "although the possibility is slim, Takaichi may not be elected as the new prime minister." If the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin no Kai, the Democratic Party for the People, and Komeito unite, they would form a majority in the House of Representatives.

Komeito, a centrist conservative party, has its roots in the religious organization Soka Gakkai. It has also played a role in moderating the LDP's conservative policies to some extent.

The LDP and Komeito have also cooperated in elections.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun analyzed that if the LDP and Komeito had not cooperated in last October's House of Representatives election, 25 out of the LDP's 132 district representatives would have lost.

In district elections, the so-called "Komeito vote" is around 20,000, and it is known to have exerted considerable influence when LDP candidates were in close contests with opposition candidates.

Meanwhile, Kyodo News reported that the LDP is considering convening an extraordinary Diet session, where the prime ministerial election will be held, on the 20th or 21st of this month.

The new prime minister is expected to handle diplomatic schedules such as the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit, US President Donald Trump's visit to Japan, and the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in Gyeongju, starting from the 26th of this month.

Yonhap News