The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan loses a 38-year hold on national leadership.
The Liberal Democratic Party (自由民主党, Jiyū-Minshutō), frequently abbreviated to LDP or Jimintō (自民党), is a conservative political party in Japan.
The LDP has been in power almost continuously since its foundation in 1955—a period called the 1955 System—except between 1993 and 1994, and again from 2009 to 2012. In the 2012 election, it regained control of the government. After the 2019 and 2021 elections it holds 261 seats in the lower house and 111 seats in the upper house, and in coalition with Komeito since 1999, a governing majority in both houses.
The LDP is often described as a big tent conservative party, with several different ideological factions ranging from moderates to right-wing nationalists. The party's history and internal composition has been characterized by intense factionalism ever since its emergence in 1955, with its parliamentary members currently split among six factions, each of which vie for influence in the party and the government. Incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and party President is the leader of the party's Kōchikai faction.
The LDP is not to be confused with the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan (民主党, Minshutō), the main opposition party from 1998 to 2016, or the Democratic Party (民進党, Minshintō), the main opposition party from 2016 to 2017. The LDP is also not to be confused with the 1998–2003 Liberal Party (自由党, Jiyūtō) or the 2016–2019 Liberal Party (自由党, Jiyū-tō).