# Japan Innovation Party

The Japan Innovation Party (日本維新の会, Nippon Ishin no Kai, Japan Restoration Association) is a conservative and centre-right to right-wing populist political party in Japan. Formed as Initiatives from Osaka in October 2015 from a split in the old Japan Innovation Party, the party became the third-biggest opposition party in the National Diet following the 2016 House of Councillors election.
The Japan Innovation Party advocates decentralization, federalism (Dōshūsei), free education, and limited government policies. Arguing to remove defense spending limits, and standing with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on revising the constitution, the party gained conservative support during the 2021 general election, primarily in Osaka. The party represents a form of right-wing populism that opposes the LDP's entrenched control over Japanese politics and bureaucracy, known as the 1955 system.

## History

In August 2015, Secretary General Kakizawa Mito endorsed a candidate jointly supported by the Communist and Democratic parties in the Yamagata mayoral election, revealing internal party conflicts. On 28 August, Hashimoto and his advisor Ichiro Matsui left the Restoration Party. The next day, Hashimoto announced his intention to form a new party, which was supported by House of Councillors member Toranosuke Katayama and other Osaka lawmakers. This new party, aimed to be named the "Osaka Restoration Party," initiated negotiations for a split from the existing party.
By October, these negotiations had failed, leading to the expulsion of Diet members and local councillors anticipated to join Hashimoto's new party by the Ishin leadership. However, Osaka-based Diet members contested the expulsions, claiming they were invalid post-October 1 due to the absence of a representative or executive board within the Restoration Party, and subsequently filed an appeal. Moreover, since Katayama of Osaka was the representative, five members of the House of Councillors executive faction voluntarily left the parliamentary faction on 16 October as a counteraction to their expulsion. These members then reformed the "Restoration Party (House of Councillors)" faction.
On 31 October, Hashimoto, along with Osaka governor Ichirō Matsui, convened in Osaka City to establish Initiatives from Osaka (おおさか維新の会, Ōsaka Ishin no Kai) after they and their supporters left the Japan Innovation Party. The Japanese name was the same as the Osaka Restoration Association, which was also formed by Hashimoto, but was differentiated by writing "Osaka" in hiragana (おおさか) rather than in kanji (大阪). Hashimoto assumed the role of representative, Matsui was named secretary-general, and 19 Diet members, primarily of Osaka origin and previously ousted from the Restoration Party, joined the formation. The "Osaka Restoration Association" was officially announced on November 2.
The first major election contested by the party was the July 2016 House of Councillors election. The party performed well in the Kansai region, winning two of four seats in the Osaka at-large district and one of three seats in the Hyogo at-large district. In the national PR block the party finished fifth with 5,153,584 votes (9.2%), which meant it won 4 of the 48 seats. The majority of its votes were again centred around Osaka; the party received the most votes in Osaka Prefecture (1,293,626; 34.9%) and was second behind the Liberal Democratic Party in Hyogo Prefecture (470,526; 19.5%). The gain in seats made the party the third-biggest opposition in the National Diet. However, after the election Matsui said the poor showing outside of Kansai was unacceptable for a national party, and that the party would adopt a new name that did not include the word "Osaka" in an attempt to broaden its nationwide appeal. At a meeting on 23 August 2016, the party voted to change its name to Nippon Ishin no Kai (日本維新の会) but did not announce an official English name.
On 12 July, following the House of Councillors election, Matsui announced plans to rename the party, a decision long under consideration. The renaming aimed to broaden the party's appeal nationwide, especially after mixed results in the election, with wins in the Osaka-Hyogo constituency but losses elsewhere. By the end of July, a survey among Diet members and local affiliates offered three naming options: "Japan Restoration Party," "Restoration Party," and variations including 'Restoration.' The "Japan Restoration Association" emerged as the favored choice among legislators.
On 23 August, at a meeting in Osaka City, the party's leadership and an extraordinary convention ratified the name change to "Nippon Ishin no Kai," with Matsui remaining as leader. The new logo for the "Nippon Ishin no Kai" was also unveiled, retaining the design from the "Osaka Restoration Association" period, with only the "Osaka" element altered to "Japan."

### 2017: Upcoming elections

In January 2017, it was announced that candidates would be fielded for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election scheduled for that summer. However, after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and the Tokyo Citizens First Association declared they would not collaborate and would instead run independently, post-election cooperation was considered.
On 6 February, Yutaka Hasegawa, a former Fuji TV announcer, joined the party. On 28 January, he was named the branch chief for the Chiba 1st district and declared his candidacy for the next House of Representatives election.
The party convention, traditionally held in Osaka, took place in Tokyo for the first time on 25 March, in anticipation of the Tokyo Assembly election in July of the same year. During this convention, six official candidates and Ishin's manifesto for the Tokyo Assembly election were unveiled.
On 22 June, Vice President Kimi Watanabe expressed support for the Tokyo Citizens First Association and tendered his resignation. Consequently, he was expelled from the party on the same day.
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on July 2, despite full support from Matsui and Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura, only one of the four official candidates secured a seat, leaving the party's seat count unchanged from before the election.
On 30 September, the "Party of Hope" was established with Matsui as its representative. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced a strategic partnership between this new party and her own for the 48th House of Representatives general election scheduled for 22 October of that year. In Osaka Prefecture, the Party of Hope did not field any candidates, while in Tokyo, the Ishin withdrew its candidates.
During the general election on 22 October, the party secured only three seats, all from single-member districts in Osaka Prefecture, and faced challenges in its stronghold, ultimately obtaining 11 seats, including eight proportional representation seats, down from 14 in the previous election. The absence of Hashimoto, the former representative, the unsuccessful alliance with the Party of Hope, and the rise of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan were cited as contributing factors to this outcome. On the 26th, Hodaka Maruyama, a member of the House of Representatives, tweeted: "Regardless of Representative Matsui's re-election, we need a summary of the Sakai mayoral election, the House of Representatives election, and the representative election." When Hashimoto called for a representative election, he remarked, "You won because Mr. Matsui is the governor. There's a way to express your desire to be elected. Bokeh!" He also stated, "It's detrimental to my mental health to interact with a Diet member who makes foolish comments. I despise such parliamentarians," and declared his resignation as a legal advisor to the Japan Restoration Association. Maruyama countered with accusations of "voter slander" and intolerance for being falsely represented. He initially submitted a resignation notice, but after Ishin retained the notice, Maruyama retracted it in January 2018. On the 28th, the Standing Committee convened, and an extraordinary party convention was scheduled for November according to the party statute. The convention's agenda included a policy decision on whether to conduct a representative election.
On 25 November, following the general election results, an extraordinary party congress took place. The majority voted against holding a representative election, and Ichiro Matsui was confirmed to continue in his representation role.

### 2019: Unified local elections and upcoming House of Councillors election

On 23 January 2019, the House of Councillors representatives formed a unified parliamentary faction with the Party of Hope. Consequently, the total number of members reached 15, including Kazuyuki Yamaguchi who had joined the Restoration Party that month, overtaking the Japan Communist Party's 14 members to become the third-largest opposition party.
During the 19th unified local elections in April, the Party of Hope was joined by New Party Daichi in Hokkaido and Tax Reduction Japan in Aichi Prefecture. In Osaka Prefecture, the stronghold, Governor Matsui was elected as the mayor of Osaka, while Mayor Yoshimura won the gubernatorial election, both securing large margins over their opponents. The Osaka Prefectural Assembly and City Council saw an increase in seats, yet the party failed to win any prefectural elections outside its base, highlighting a limited national reach.
After the passing of House of Representatives member Tomokatsu Kitagawa from the Liberal Democratic Party, Fujita Fumitake emerged victorious in the by-election for Osaka's 12th district on 21 April 2019. He triumphed over competitors including Shinpei Kitagawa, who is the nephew of the late Kitagawa, as well as Shinji Tarutoko and Takeshi Miyamoto.
On 14 May, during a visa-free visit to the Four Northern Islands as part of an exchange project, Hodaka Maruyama disrupted a reporter's interview with islanders. He suggested "recapture by war" to resolve the Northern Territories issue. Maruyama refused to accept his resignation notice, and the board of directors subsequently expelled him. Following this, a bipartisan resolution condemning Maruyama's actions was submitted and unanimously passed in the House of Representatives on June 6.

### 2020: Tokyo gubernatorial election, second referendum rejection and Matsui's retirement from politics

In the Tokyo gubernatorial election on 5 July 2020, Taisuke Ono, the former Deputy Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, was a recommended candidate. Although a relative unknown, he secured 610,000 votes. However, he narrowly missed the threshold to retain his deposit, finishing in fourth place. Concurrently, in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly by-election, official candidates were fielded in the Kita Ward and Ota Ward constituencies, but both were defeated, with two LDP candidates winning the seats.
On 1 November 2020, the second referendum on the Osaka Metropolitan Plan, a key policy of Ishin no Kai, was rejected by a majority. That same day, Matsui announced his plan to retire from politics at the end of his mayoral term in April 2023. He also stated his resignation as president of the regional "Osaka Ishin no Kai", appointing Hirofumi Yoshimura as his successor. As for "Ishin no Kai" the national political party, he expressed a desire to consider his role separately from the Osaka Ishin no Kai and indicated he would continue in his position for the time being.

### 2021: Local elections, breakthrough at the 2021 general election and new executive team
#### Local elections

In the Hokkaido 2nd district by-election on 25 April 2021, following Takamori Yoshikawa's resignation from the Liberal Democratic Party, former provincial councilor Izumi Yamazaki was defended. Muneo Suzuki, leader of the Hokkaido Restoration Party, supported the defense, stating "a conservative centrist receptacle is necessary" after the Liberal Democratic Party's defeat. However, Kenko Matsuki was elected, with Yamazaki finishing third and Yoshiko Tsuruha, an independent, as the runner-up.
In the Takarazuka mayoral election in Hyogo Prefecture on 11 April 2021, Takashi Kado, a prefectural councilor from Takarazuka City, was officially nominated by his party. It was the first such nomination since the Takarazuka City and Itami City mayoral elections in 2013, which served as a prelude to the Hyogo gubernatorial election. Despite a vigorous campaign, Kado was narrowly defeated by Harue Yamazaki.
For the Hyogo gubernatorial election, the Hyogo Restoration Association intended to nominate its own candidate since late 2020, but faced coordination challenges. In April 2021, a faction of the LDP Hyogo Prefectural Assembly opposed the executive department's policy and recommended Motohiko Saito, then head of the Osaka Prefectural Finance Division.
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, 13 official candidates were fielded. On 3 July, the day before the vote count, Matsui and Yoshimura delivered speeches in Tokyo to support their candidates. However, only one seat was secured, leading Matsui to comment on the difficulty of elections in Tokyo.

#### Breakthrough at the 2021 general election

On 22 August, Secretary-General Baba discussed the government's framework on a TV program, hinting at potential cooperation with the ruling party after the upcoming general election of the House of Representatives. He suggested that if allowed to pursue their desired policies, various forms of collaboration could be considered. On the 26th, Representative Matsui, reflecting on Baba's comments, stated there was no conflict with the Liberal Democratic Party and dismissed any coalition or cooperation with Jiko. Additionally, Matsui supported Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's re-election in the LDP presidential election, citing the ease of collaboration between national and local governments, especially in combating the new coronavirus.
In the recent general election, the party significantly increased its representation from 11 to 41 seats. In its stronghold of Osaka Prefecture, the party's candidates won in all but four of the 15 single-member districts, which were ceded to Komeito. Outside of the Osaka-Hyogo 6th district, the party also performed well in the Hanshin area. Nationally, the party improved its proportional representation vote tally by nearly 5 million from the previous election, securing 8.05 million votes and seats in 10 out of 11 national blocks, excluding Hokkaido. Remarkably, in the proportional representation stronghold, the party secured 10 seats, the highest among the 28 available, outperforming the LDP's 8 seats. Due to the lack of proportionally restored members from Osaka Prefecture, candidates from other prefectures were eligible for proportional revival. Consequently, all candidates from Hyogo Prefecture, except for the 6th district, were proportionally reinstated.
On the same day as the general election, Matsui announced his retirement from politics at the end of his mayoral term, stating it would be irresponsible to continue as a representative. He confirmed he would step down from his role when his term concludes in January the following year. Party regulations required a decision on holding a representative election within 45 days after a major election. However, during an extraordinary party congress on 27 November, a vote among special party members, including National Assembly members and local councilors, resulted in 151 votes for and 319 against the election. Consequently, no representative election was held, and Matsui remained in the race. Furthermore, due to health issues, Toranosuke Katayama stepped down as co-representative, and Matsui suggested appointing Secretary-General Nobuyuki Baba as his successor.
During the Standing Board of Directors meeting held on 30 November, Baba was officially appointed as the co-chair. Additionally, Fumitake Fujita, a member of the House of Representatives, and Shun Otokita, a member of the House of Councillors, were appointed as the chairman of the general affairs committee. Hirofumi Yanagigase, also a member of the House of Councillors, was named the secretary-general. The appointments for the Diet delegation were confirmed on the same day.

### 2023: Major unified election gains

In April 2023, the party made significant gains in local elections, more than doubling its seat totals in various local assemblies to 124. Notably, the party also captured the governorship of Nara prefecture through its candidate Makoto Yamashita. Two weeks later the party's candidate Yumi Hayashi took Wakayama 1st district in a by-election.

## Ideology, platform and policy

Views on the political position of the Japan Innovation Party have been varied. While it has been described as being neoconservative, and right-wing populist by its opponents, the party itself commits to social liberalism, reformism, regionalism and 'self-sustainability' in its party constitution. The party supports the amendment of the Japanese constitution, including the installation of a constitutional court, mandated free education, and increased devolution. The party has not made an official stance on either supporting or opposing the amendment to Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which prohibits Japan from possessing an offensive military, however it has pledged to partake in debate. Economically, the party supports increased economic liberalisation, including deregulation of the labour market and the streamlining of bureaucratic structure and optional separate surnames for married couples.
The party has recently been described as centrist and moderate, being perceived as such by the voter base, according to recent public opinion polls. The party was also referred to as libertarian.
The party manifesto for the 2022 Japanese Councillors election, dubbed "維新八策2022", containing 402 individual policy proposals, and included the following pledges:
* Reform of social insurance and pension system, with the introduction of a universal basic income of ¥60,000 per month, with additional supplements for non-coupled elderly.
* Reform of income tax and social insurance fees, replacing the current system with a two-tiered income tax.
* Reform of the social medical insurance system from age-based subsidy rates to income-based cost subsidies.
* Universal access to free education from preschool to university, written within the constitution.
* Free access to childbirth services through a combination of insurance and voucher system.
* Deregulation of protected industries such as ridesharing, finance and agriculture.
* Legalization of separate surname options for married couples.
* Maintaining current emission reduction targets with implementation of carbon pricing schemes.
* Legislating Osaka as the vice-capital of Japan.
* Push for further devolution with merger of prefectures into states (dōshūsei), while allocating the consumption tax as a regional tax.
* Constitutional amendments including: Universal free education, devolution, and the establishment of constitutional courts.
* Maintaining agnate succession of the Imperial throne while considering re-royalisation of former Imperial household members.
* Introduction of the "2:1 rule", requiring two pieces of regulation to be removed per introduction of any new industrial regulation.
* Deregulation of the workforce, allowing for compensated dismissals.
* Repealing the 1% GDP cap on defence spending, aiming for 2% spending and the establishment of a national intelligence organisation.
* Promotion of free trade, especially within the Asia-pacific region.
* Adding hospital capacity for COVID-19 treatment through controls over privately run hospitals.
* Temporary cuts to reduction rate (a 2% consumption tax discount on consumption tax, such as groceries) on consumption tax rate from 8% down to 3%, to counter inflation.
* 30% reduction in diet members, and a 30% cut in member's compensation.
* Contributions reform prohibiting corporate and organisational donation loopholes to political parties and candidates.
* Establishment of a public documents bureau, digitalisation of all public document, and maintaining edit records through utilisation of blockchain technology.

## Leadership
### Parliamentary caucus leadership

| Position | Name |
| Leader | Hirofumi Yoshimura & Seiji Maehara |
| Secretary-General | Ryohei Iwatani |
| Chairman of the Policy Bureau | Hitoshi Aoyagi |
| General Affairs Committee chief | Tsukasa Abe |
| Diet Affairs Committee chief | Joji Uruma |
| Joint House Caucus Chair | Akira Ishii |
| House of Councilors Caucus Chair | Hitoshi Asada |

## Party leaders

| No. | Name | Took office | Left office |
| 1 | Tōru Hashimoto | 2 November 2015 | 12 December 2015 |
| 2 | Ichirō Matsui | 12 December 2015 | 23 August 2016 |
| 3 | Ichirō MatsuiToranosuke Katayama | 23 August 2016 | 27 November 2021 |
| 4 | Ichirō MatsuiNobuyuki Baba | 27 November 2021 | 27 August 2022 |
| 5 | Nobuyuki Baba | 27 August 2022 | 1 December 2024 |
| 6 | Hirofumi Yoshimura Seiji Maehara | 1 December 2024 | Present |

## Election results
### House of Representatives

| Election | Leader | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Party list | Party list | Party list | Party list | Total | Total | Position | Status |
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Seats | +/- | Position | Status |
| 2017 | Ichirō Matsui | 1,765,053 | 3.18 | 3 / 289 | new | 3,387,097 | 6.07 | 8 / 176 | new | 11 / 465 | new | 6th | Opposition |
| 2021 | Ichirō Matsui | 4,802,793 | 8.36 | 16 / 289 | 13 | 8,050,830 | 14.0 | 25 / 176 | 17 | 41 / 465 | 30 | 3rd | Opposition |
| 2024 | Nobuyuki Baba | 6,048,104 | 11.15 | 23 / 289 | 7 | 5,105,127 | 9.36 | 15 / 176 | 10 | 38 / 465 | 3 | 3rd | Opposition |

### House of Councillors

| Election | Leader | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Party list | Party list | Party list | Party list | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Position | Status |
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Won | +/- | Total | +/- | Position | Status |
| 2016 | Ichirō Matsui | 3,303,419 | 5.84 | 3 / 73 | new | 5,153,584 | 9.20 | 4 / 48 | new | 7 / 121 | new | 12 / 242 | 7 | 5th | Opposition |
| 2019 | Ichirō Matsui | 3,664,530 | 7.28 | 5 / 74 | new | 4,907,844 | 9.80 | 5 / 50 | new | 10 / 124 | new | 16 / 245 | 4 | 4th | Opposition |
| 2022 | Ichirō Matsui | 5,533,657 | 10.41 | 5 / 74 | 2 | 7,845,985 | 14.79 | 8 / 50 | 4 | 12 / 125 | 5 | 21 / 248 | 5 | 4th | Opposition |