Japan expects personnel changes in LDP and Takaichi government — The Japan Times
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering appointing former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hideki Murai as the head of parliamentary affairs for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. According to The Japan Times, citing informed sources, changes in the LDP leadership are expected on Wednesday, after which the composition of the government, state ministers and parliamentary vice-ministers is planned to be renewed.
A potentially unconventional appointment
The post of head of the LDP’s parliamentary affairs is usually held by a politician who has previously served as a government minister. Murai does not have such experience, so his appointment to this position would be unconventional.
According to party sources, Takaichi seeks to demonstrate a renewal of the LDP’s leadership team by assigning the post to Murai, who is involved in parliamentary reform. The 46-year-old Murai previously worked as an official at the Ministry of Finance and has been elected to the House of Representatives six times.
Under the government of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, he served as a special adviser to the head of government and later as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary. In that role, Murai acted as a link between the LDP committee on parliamentary affairs and the prime minister’s office. He later coordinated interaction between the ruling forces and the opposition in parliament, including as chief director of the ruling bloc on the lower house’s Rules Committee.
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A post for a coalition partner
Consultations are also continuing over the appointment of Japan Innovation Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Nakatsuki to a ministerial post in the Takaichi government. The Japan Innovation Party, also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai, became the LDP’s coalition partner in October 2025 but has not yet had representatives in the Cabinet.
Nakatsuki, who is 70, has been elected to the House of Representatives three times and became the party’s secretary-general in August 2025. He previously served as mayor of Hirakata city in Osaka Prefecture and as a member of the prefectural assembly.
At an extraordinary parliamentary session, which may be convened no earlier than early October, bills to reduce the consumption tax rate on food products and cut the number of seats in the House of Representatives are expected to be considered.
