Overview

• Ishin’s project team met in Osaka on Sept. 30 and agreed on the skeleton of a bill to advance its vice-capital concept, moving to accelerate detailed review.
• Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura called realization of the vice-capital plan and social-security reform absolute conditions for any coalition participation.
• Policy chief Alex Saito said it is difficult to reach a coalition agreement with the LDP and Komeito before the prime minister nomination, citing high internal hurdles.
• The party aims to submit the vice-capital bill in the next ordinary Diet session and is preparing to put the plan at the center of post–leadership vote negotiations.
• Saito rejected ceding Osaka electoral districts in any seat adjustments, and earlier drafts of the bill listed requirements such as eliminating duplicate administration and minimizing simultaneous disaster risk with the Tokyo area.