Overview

• On Aug. 19, the LDP’s Presidential Election Management Committee opened formal talks on whether to move up the party leader vote and said support will be verified by signed written submissions that disclose names.
• Party rules trigger an early contest if at least 172 of the 342 electors request it, a move described in party discussions as a de facto recall of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba following the Upper House setback.
• The confirmation is expected after the LDP’s late‑August election postmortem, with a several‑day verification window under discussion and a conclusion possibly slipping into early September.
• Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito said his party will support Ishiba’s continuation and signaled policy proximity to the Democratic Party for the People as he seeks partners to rebuild a working majority.
• Cross‑bench bargaining is intensifying as DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki warned the Japan Innovation Party against entering an LDP–Komeito coalition, and Team Mirai’s Takahiro Anno said he would weigh offers such as digital minister and has not ruled out joining the ruling bloc.