Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been spending more time socializing with senior ruling party members over lunches and dinners in recent months, in an apparent overture to ease internal dissatisfaction with her leadership style.
The outreach came as Takaichi’s surprise move to call a snap election earlier this year and her push, despite the already tight parliamentary schedule because of the poll, to have the fiscal 2026 state budget enacted on time had apparently ruffled the feathers of some ruling party members.
“The prime minister had not been aware of the growing rifts,” a source close to her said, referring to friction between Takaichi and Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers in the House of Councillors, who were in charge of negotiations with an angry opposition over the budget.
The ruling coalition of the LDP and Japan Innovation Party does not hold a majority in the upper house and opposition support is critical for passing budgets and bills. The situation is different in the more powerful House of Representatives, where it secured a supermajority following the February general election.
Takaichi is known to have eschewed the culture of sharing a table with fellow lawmakers and others to align themselves. But signs have emerged of her changing stance.
Daily records of the prime minister’s schedule compiled by Kyodo News show the number of working meals involving Takaichi and senior party officials in about two months since April has already surpassed the five confirmed over the preceding five months.
Following the April 7 budget enactment, Takaichi treated senior LDP members of the upper house to dinner at her official residence, thanking them for working to lay the groundwork for its parliamentary approval.
In late May, Takaichi dined with colleagues including Junichi Ishii, the secretary general of the LDP in the upper house seen as on poor terms with the prime minister.
Ishii led the establishment of a group comprising dozens of LDP upper house members, a move that fueled speculation that he wants to show his influence to counter the administration.
At the dinner at her official residence, Takaichi shared personal stories with Ishii, and they went on to exchange gifts of cosmetics and soap, according to people with knowledge of the situation, signaling improving ties between the two.
The increased socializing comes as the current Diet session enters its final weeks and Takaichi’s ability to get wider backing in the ruling coalition for divisive agenda items is in focus, including an envisaged law to penalize desecration of the Japanese flag and another to cut lawmaker numbers.
Takaichi has enjoyed relatively solid public support since becoming premier last October, but there are still members within her own party who are critical of her high-handed political approach.
A source at the prime minister’s office has said Takaichi is expected to continue having shared meals.
© KYODO
