Levi McLaughlin
@levimclaughlin.bsky.social
Professor, Philosophy and Religious Studies, North Carolina State University
Interested readers can see abstracts for my chapters here:
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Honestly odd to see how these analyses anticipated some of the chaos that has unfolded in recent weeks...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Honestly odd to see how these analyses anticipated some of the chaos that has unfolded in recent weeks...
A Costly Coalition: Kōmeitō’s Enduring Partnership with the LDP
This chapter provides an overview of Kōmeitō’s electoral performance since 2021, focusing on reasons for the party’s poor 2024 general election results. Our analysis shows that K...
link.springer.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Interested readers can see abstracts for my chapters here:
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Honestly odd to see how these analyses anticipated some of the chaos that has unfolded in recent weeks...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Honestly odd to see how these analyses anticipated some of the chaos that has unfolded in recent weeks...
The book is otherwise packed with useful contributions from top folks in the field, based in North America, Japan, and Europe. Thanks always to Robert Pekkanen, Dan Smith, and Kenneth McElwain for their excellent job editing.
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
The book is otherwise packed with useful contributions from top folks in the field, based in North America, Japan, and Europe. Thanks always to Robert Pekkanen, Dan Smith, and Kenneth McElwain for their excellent job editing.
Is this stuff already out of date? You bet! Is it useful background material for understanding Japanese politics right now? Also yes!
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Is this stuff already out of date? You bet! Is it useful background material for understanding Japanese politics right now? Also yes!
We've done that here. And I have supplied an update on responses to the Unification Church following the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō into the October 2024 Lower House election up to the court decisions to proceed with removing the religion's status as a juridical person.
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
We've done that here. And I have supplied an update on responses to the Unification Church following the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō into the October 2024 Lower House election up to the court decisions to proceed with removing the religion's status as a juridical person.
I've contributed to the last few Japan Decides volumes, and I have some contributions in this one as well. My stalwart colleague Axel Klein (prof at Duisburg-Essen in Germany) and I regularly write up the latest we can find on Komeito.
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
I've contributed to the last few Japan Decides volumes, and I have some contributions in this one as well. My stalwart colleague Axel Klein (prof at Duisburg-Essen in Germany) and I regularly write up the latest we can find on Komeito.
Komeito is out and a new conservative coalition partner, Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), is in government. Reasons for this upheaval stem from the October 2024 results.
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Komeito is out and a new conservative coalition partner, Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), is in government. Reasons for this upheaval stem from the October 2024 results.
In October 2024, Japan faced a particularly consequential election, one that saw the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner Komeito shunted into a minority government.
Today, we have a new regime in place led by an LDP headed by the conservative firebrand PM Takaichi Sanae.
Today, we have a new regime in place led by an LDP headed by the conservative firebrand PM Takaichi Sanae.
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
In October 2024, Japan faced a particularly consequential election, one that saw the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner Komeito shunted into a minority government.
Today, we have a new regime in place led by an LDP headed by the conservative firebrand PM Takaichi Sanae.
Today, we have a new regime in place led by an LDP headed by the conservative firebrand PM Takaichi Sanae.
For what it's worth, going by my correspondence in recent days with Gakkai member friends, Komeito calling on its supporters to vote for CDP candidates is likely to be greeted with Soka Gakkai adherent approval. Some members wondered why Komeito didn't link up with CDP before splitting with the LDP
October 27, 2025 at 2:57 PM
For what it's worth, going by my correspondence in recent days with Gakkai member friends, Komeito calling on its supporters to vote for CDP candidates is likely to be greeted with Soka Gakkai adherent approval. Some members wondered why Komeito didn't link up with CDP before splitting with the LDP
Or does it? Lots to discover as these new alliances unfold.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Or does it? Lots to discover as these new alliances unfold.
It's a cost these candidates will probably have to pay: even diminishing Gakkai-member vote-gathering power likely beats out the ground game of any other political party in Japan. And this probably includes Ishin and Sanseitō.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
It's a cost these candidates will probably have to pay: even diminishing Gakkai-member vote-gathering power likely beats out the ground game of any other political party in Japan. And this probably includes Ishin and Sanseitō.
In Tokyo, this means LDP Diet members are likely going to continue to curry favor with Komeito to gain Gakkai support. This gives Komeito, and specifically the Women's Division of Soka Gakkai, a lot of clout when it comes to vetting LDP candidates.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
In Tokyo, this means LDP Diet members are likely going to continue to curry favor with Komeito to gain Gakkai support. This gives Komeito, and specifically the Women's Division of Soka Gakkai, a lot of clout when it comes to vetting LDP candidates.
In other words, Japan's most powerful political institution might become the party of local Japan. That is, unless LDP Diet members figure out how to up their vote numbers.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
In other words, Japan's most powerful political institution might become the party of local Japan. That is, unless LDP Diet members figure out how to up their vote numbers.
Losing Gakkai voters could well mean that the LDP loses ALL its seats in Tokyo. And pairing up with Ishin means sacrificing LDP seats in and around Osaka.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Losing Gakkai voters could well mean that the LDP loses ALL its seats in Tokyo. And pairing up with Ishin means sacrificing LDP seats in and around Osaka.
The TV station TBS and other outlets have calculated that, without Komeito supporter (read Soka Gakkai) efforts, the LDP would have won 52 fewer seats in the October 2024 election, putting it behind the Constitutional Democratic Party. This doesn't account for other opposition party wins.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
The TV station TBS and other outlets have calculated that, without Komeito supporter (read Soka Gakkai) efforts, the LDP would have won 52 fewer seats in the October 2024 election, putting it behind the Constitutional Democratic Party. This doesn't account for other opposition party wins.
But losing the Gakkai vote -- while perhaps still relying on it -- might be THE story for how the new, strongly nationalist LDP-Ishin coalition shapes up.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
But losing the Gakkai vote -- while perhaps still relying on it -- might be THE story for how the new, strongly nationalist LDP-Ishin coalition shapes up.
Because religion remains a strong taboo in Japan's public discourse, it's not a surprise to me that consequences of making light of Soka Gakkai vote-gathering have been largely pushed off the front page.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Because religion remains a strong taboo in Japan's public discourse, it's not a surprise to me that consequences of making light of Soka Gakkai vote-gathering have been largely pushed off the front page.
There does seem to be a requirement that you could credibly audition for a boy band if you head up Ishin no Kai.
www.asahi.com/articles/AST...
www.asahi.com/articles/AST...
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
There does seem to be a requirement that you could credibly audition for a boy band if you head up Ishin no Kai.
www.asahi.com/articles/AST...
www.asahi.com/articles/AST...
shin has recently been bleeding Diet members, losing them to a breakaway parliamentarian group and also to the VERY conservative upstart party Sanseitō. The party also has a habit of fighting internally and switching out leaders on the reg.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
shin has recently been bleeding Diet members, losing them to a breakaway parliamentarian group and also to the VERY conservative upstart party Sanseitō. The party also has a habit of fighting internally and switching out leaders on the reg.
Securing this vote comes at great cost to the LDP. To get the votes needed to confirm Takaichi as Japan's leader, the LDP is hammering out a shaky new coalition agreement with Ishin no Kai, a conservative party that maintains an Osaka stronghold but otherwise struggles in national-level races.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Securing this vote comes at great cost to the LDP. To get the votes needed to confirm Takaichi as Japan's leader, the LDP is hammering out a shaky new coalition agreement with Ishin no Kai, a conservative party that maintains an Osaka stronghold but otherwise struggles in national-level races.
we approach Tuesday, when a vote in Japan's National Diet appears set to confirm Takaichi Sanae as the country's first woman Prime Minister.
October 17, 2025 at 10:41 PM
we approach Tuesday, when a vote in Japan's National Diet appears set to confirm Takaichi Sanae as the country's first woman Prime Minister.
Of note: Saitō is not only a long-time Diet member colleague but is also Kamei's kōhai (junior) from the same high school. In Japan, these kinds of relationships mean a lot...
October 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Of note: Saitō is not only a long-time Diet member colleague but is also Kamei's kōhai (junior) from the same high school. In Japan, these kinds of relationships mean a lot...