How a Single Short Message Sparked the Birth of the Takaichi Administration — Inside the Secret LDP–JRP Negotiations

The one short message that changed Japan — and the text it contained

A casual short message became the beginning of coalition talks between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party).

On the night of October 9, Nippon Ishin’s Diet Affairs Committee chairman Endō Takashi (57), after taking a bath at a public bathhouse near his home in Takaishi City, Osaka, sent an SMS to LDP President Takaichi Sanae (64): “It must be really tough. Please take care of yourself and do your best.”

It was right in the middle of the turmoil over coalition negotiations between the LDP and Komeito—Komeito would officially announce its withdrawal from the 26-year LDP–Komeito coalition the next day, October 10. Endō had been hearing information such as, “Komeito is seriously angry over the politics and money issue. This isn’t a bluff. They really intend to leave.” Concerned about the difficult situation Takaichi faced so soon after assuming the LDP presidency, he sent the message.

Thirty minutes later, Endō’s phone rang.

“Things are really tough. Want to do it together?”

Takaichi spoke to him in Kansai dialect. Though she is known for bringing stacks of books to the Diet members’ dormitory to study policy first and for avoiding drinking parties, she had developed an easy rapport with Endō, whom she met seven years earlier on the Diet steering committee—they call each other “En-chan” and “Sanae-chan.”

“A five-term House member from Osaka’s 18th district, Endō is known in Nagatachō as a ‘negotiator’ and ‘charmer.’ He invites bureaucrats to takoyaki parties at the Akasaka dorms, and he’s close with influential LDP figures such as former Secretary-General Moriyama Hiroshi (80) and former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (76). Even LDP lawmakers respect him,” says a national newspaper political reporter.

As Komeito’s withdrawal progressed behind the scenes, Takaichi remained optimistic until the very end, believing “Komeito will fold in the end,” and she envisioned stabilizing government by adding Ishin to the LDP–Komeito coalition. But Komeito made the decision to leave, and even the Democratic Party for the People—whom she had hoped to bring in—kept their distance. Her plan unraveled, leaving her unsure whether she could secure enough votes to become prime minister in the Diet’s leadership election.

Meanwhile, Ishin had been leaning heavily toward supporting the emergence of a Koizumi administration, with party leader Yoshimura Hirofumi (50) praising Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjirō (44) as a reformer at the Osaka Expo venue. Behind the scenes, Suga—Koizumi’s political mentor—and Endō had been conferring privately at the National Diet Library. Ishin had essentially shifted too far into the Koizumi camp.

When things did not go as either Takaichi or Ishin had hoped, it was the Diet Affairs Committee chairman’s broad bipartisan network that proved decisive. Endō explains:

“As an opposition party’s Diet affairs chief, it’s natural to broaden your network and prepare for unexpected situations. Among the nine people who ran in the previous LDP presidential race, I’ve had meals and exchanged phone numbers with eight—everyone except former Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru (68).

Our goal is to advance policy. We don’t decide based on personal likes or dislikes, or who we want or don’t want to work with. The standard is simply whether they will accept our policies.

Since the LDP president has changed, the first important step is for the leaders to talk directly. I gave Yoshimura and Takaichi each other’s mobile numbers, and I arranged for them to talk on the 13th.”

The 13th was also the closing day of the Osaka Expo, and Yoshimura was extremely busy. He managed to free up 40 minutes, so the meeting took place by phone.

How does Endō evaluate Prime Minister Takaichi?

“After the phone discussion between the two, I called them. Representative Yoshimura replied, ‘I think we can do this,’ and President Takaichi said, ‘I fully understand how you feel. Let’s do this together,’ so it seems their chemistry matched. Since the top has made up her mind, I said, ‘I’ll handle the stagework. I’ll step on the accelerator.’” (same source)

On the 14th, Endō met with Diet Affairs Committee Chair Hiroshi Kajiyama (70). By showing, both internally and externally, that the LDP and Ishin were rapidly drawing closer, they gauged the situation. In the discussions on the 16th, Ishin demanded 12 items, including the Secondary Capital Concept, the abolition of corporate and organizational donations, and a reduction in the number of Diet members. On the 20th, a coalition agreement was reached, and those 12 items were included in the agreement document. Endō evaluated Takaichi as quick to make decisions and continued:

“Regarding the 20,000-yen payout that the previous administration had made a pledge for in the Upper House election, we told them that we are against it. This is because the administrative burden on local governments is huge—for example, mailing documents to confirm the recipient’s bank account. Local mayors say it costs 100 million yen in various expenses, and it’s wasteful. If so, like Tokyo did this summer as a heat-wave countermeasure by encouraging people to use air-conditioning through making the basic water charge free, subsidies for gas and electricity bills would have lower fees, be faster, and be free of regressive effects, making them more appropriate for tackling high prices.

When I told this to Takaichi, she immediately responded, ‘En-chan, that’s good. Let’s do that.’ I don’t yet know what form it will take, but I want to work with people who accept our policies.”

The unconventional opposition Diet Affairs Committee Chair also serves concurrently as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (in charge of promoting the coalition agreement’s policies). During the 26 years of the LDP–Komeito administration, no Komeito member had ever entered the Prime Minister’s Office. In this era of multiparty politics, it may become a symbol of the beginning of the end for the LDP—or the LDP era may continue. Attention is now focused on what happens next.