Overview
- Party leaders Sanae Takaichi and Hirofumi Yoshimura are expected to sign the agreement on Monday, according to an Ishin official cited in reporting.
- The arrangement brings Ishin into the ruling camp without ministerial posts for now, with cabinet participation to be considered if the agreed agenda advances.
- The deal lands just before the Diet’s vote to choose the next prime minister, where Takaichi is widely expected to secure the post based on current numbers.
- Separate from the coalition talks, an Ishin upper house member visited Yasukuni Shrine on Oct. 18 during the autumn festival, and a former LDP economy minister also paid respects, according to local reports.
- In regional security news, South Korea received 64 nationals deported from Cambodia on Oct. 18 over alleged involvement in phishing schemes, Yonhap reported.