Sanctuary Supporters Back Takichi for PM, Stir Controversy

Calls for Abolishing Ishiba Emerge

On November 11, a special Diet session was convened, and a Prime Ministerial election was held in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. In the first round of voting, no candidate secured a majority, and Shigeru Ishiba (67) of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was narrowly elected as the 103rd Prime Minister in a runoff with Yoshihiko Noda (67), leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party.

The main reason for the tight race was the outcome of the previous general election. The LDP and Komeito combined won 215 seats, falling short of their target of 233 seats, the first time in 15 years that the LDP had failed to secure a majority.

Notable losses included key figures like Justice Minister Hideki Makihara (53) and Agriculture Minister Yasuhiro Ozato (66), as well as former Defense Minister Seishiro Eto (83), who had supported Ishiba during the LDP leadership race. These defeats dealt a significant blow to Ishiba’s chances as Prime Minister.

It is believed that conservative voters who defected from the LDP voted for the Democratic Party for the People and the Japan Conservative Party, the latter of which won its first-ever seats in the Diet.

While Ishiba’s supporters in the LDP faced setbacks, the DPFP and Japan Conservative Party gained seats, a shift that aligns with the campaign efforts of certain groups. One of these groups is the Sanctuary Church, a faction of the former Unification Church.

The Sanctuary Church, headquartered in the United States, is led by Moon Myung Jin, a strong supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump (78). The church’s followers have participated in pro-Trump demonstrations in both Japan and the U.S. and have supported conservative politicians such as Sanae Takaichi (63) and the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, advocating traditional family values, opposition to same-sex marriage, and opposition to civil partnership legislation.

Some members of the Sanctuary Church saw the election as a chance to reinvigorate Takaichi, who had lost in the LDP leadership race. These followers circulated a mysterious document online, titled “Members of the Diet who voted for Shigeru Ishiba in the 2024 runoff” and “Members of the Diet who voted for Sanae Takaichi in the 2024 runoff,” calling for the removal of Ishiba from office.

Below is an excerpt from the document.

October 10, 2024
Japan-US-Korea Consultative Council Policy Proposal Review Team

Notice

In the upcoming general election on October 27, we propose a “NO” to the Ishiba administration and aim for the early establishment of the Takaichi administration. We hope that the voting policy, based on the freedom and responsibility of each member, as well as outreach to friends and acquaintances, will serve as a reference.

Voting Policy

• In constituencies where candidates supported Shigeru Ishiba in the runoff vote, vote for candidates from the “Sanseito” (Sansei Party), the Democratic Party for the People, or the Japan Conservative Party, etc.

• Vote for candidates who supported Sanae Takaichi in the runoff vote.

• In proportional representation, vote for the Liberal Democratic Party, or the “Sanseito”, the Democratic Party for the People, or the Japan Conservative Party, etc.

• In constituencies where there are no suitable candidates, vote for the candidate who seems closest to our values.

The strange documents titled “Members of the National Diet who voted for Shigeru Ishiba in the 2024 runoff” and “Members of the National Diet who voted for Sanae Takaichi in the 2024 runoff,” which were uploaded along with the text, were spread across several social media platforms by individuals believed to be supporters of the Sanctuary Church, as well as supporters of Sanae Takaichi and the Japan Conservative Party.