Komeito Leader Natsuo Yamaguchi Announces Departure
Natsuo Yamaguchi, the leader of Komeito, the junior coalition partner in Japan's government, has announced that he will step down at the end of his term. This marks the first leadership change in the party in 15 years.
Yamaguchi, 72, made the announcement at a news conference on September 10th. He stated that he would not be running in the party's upcoming leadership election later this month.
His decision comes amidst a wave of leadership changes in Japan's political landscape. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently announced he would not seek re-election in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, and other leadership elections are also taking place.
"A wave of generational change is sweeping the political world, both domestically and internationally," Yamaguchi said. "I’ve decided it’s time to pass the baton to the next generation.”
Yamaguchi has served as Komeito leader since 2009, succeeding Akihiro Ota after the LDP and Komeito coalition suffered a major defeat in the Lower House election that year. He is the longest-serving Komeito leader since the party's re-establishment in 1998.
While there have been calls for Yamaguchi to remain as party leader, particularly in light of a possible snap general election later this year, the party appears to be leaning towards a change in leadership and a new generation.
With leadership races ongoing in both the LDP and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Komeito's decision to embrace generational change aligns with the broader political landscape in the country.