- Ms. Takaichi Elected As LDP President, Yet It Doesn’t Necessarily Assure Prime Minister Position
In the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election held on October 4, the runoff came down to former Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi.
As the Aso faction had issued a policy that its members should support the candidate who won more party member votes in the first round, its support shifted to Takaichi in the runoff.
This overturned the widespread expectation of an advantage for Koizumi, leading to Takaichi’s victory and the historic selection of the LDP’s first-ever female president since the party’s founding.
In the extraordinary Diet session expected next week, it had been anticipated that Takaichi would quickly become Prime Minister, since the ruling bloc—even as a minority—still outnumbered the combined opposition parties of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP).
However, during a meeting this week between LDP and Komeito executives, Komeito declared its withdrawal from the coalition.
This came after the LDP held its decision to accept Komeito’s demand for sweeping restrictions on political donations.
Komeito also made it clear that it would not cast its votes for LDP President Takaichi in the prime ministerial selection.
If the opposition parties—the CDP, Nippon Ishin, and DPP—were to unite behind a single candidate for the prime ministerial vote, they could potentially outnumber the LDP on its own.
This raises the possibility of a reversal of power between ruling and opposition parties for the first time in 13 years, and a change of government.
In reality, however, not only have the three opposition parties been holding frequent talks among their leaders and secretaries-general, but the LDP has also been making repeated overtures in recent days, attempting to woo opposition lawmakers and extend coalition offers.
According to reports, negotiations between the LDP and Nippon Ishin have already advanced to the stage of concrete policy coordination.
If Nippon Ishin ultimately supports Takaichi, the most realistic outlook remains the formation of a Takaichi administration.
2. More Than 25 Million People Visited The Osaka-Kansai Expo
The Osaka-Kansai Expo closed on October 13.
On the following day, October 14, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition announced that the total number of general visitors over the 184-day event reached 25,578,986.
It’s said to be a success in terms of the number of visitors because it exceeded the breakeven point of 22 million people.
Around 6% of them visited the expo from abroad.
According to the Association, foreign visitors by region accounted for 52.6% from Asia, 22.1% from Europe, and 17.6% from North America.
Some of the most popular pavilions at the Osaka-Kansai Expo (based on selected survey results) were as follows:
l Osaka Healthcare Pavilion: Interactive exhibits proposing the future of health and medicine drew strong interest.
l Italy Pavilion: Ranked first overall in at least one survey.
l GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION: Gained attention with a life-size Gundam statue and related exhibits.
l PASONA NATUREVERSE.: Placed in the top ranks across multiple surveys, including first, second, and third.
l Sumitomo Pavilion: Consistently ranked among the top in several surveys.
l Japan Pavilion: One of the most highly anticipated and notable exhibits.
l France Pavilion: Appeared in the top rankings across several surveys.
l Kuwait Pavilion: Also ranked among the top in multiple surveys.
l Future City Pavilion: Frequently ranked among the top for its “Future City” concept.
3. Strong Inbound Visitors Trend Continues Through September
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of international visitors to Japan in September was 3,266,800, representing a 13.7% increase compared to the same month last year. This marked the highest September figure ever recorded and, for the first time, the number exceeded 3 million in that month.
The cumulative total for January through September reached 31,650,500, surpassing 30 million at the fastest pace on record.
Although September is typically a period when inbound demand eases after the summer school holidays, and despite typhoon-related disruptions to flights in East Asia, the steady growth in popularity of travel to Japan helped drive visitor numbers.
In particular, arrivals increased from China and Taiwan in East Asia, Indonesia and India in Southeast Asia, and from the United States and Germany in Europe, North America, and Oceania.
These factors contributed to the overall boost this month.
Additionally, the Middle East set a new all-time monthly record, and 18 markets—including Taiwan, the United States, and Germany—recorded their highest-ever figures for the month of September.
- Two Japanese Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize In Physiology or Medicine and In Chemistry Respectively
Last week, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Shimon Sakaguchi, Distinguished Professor at Osaka University, together with his collaborators, and in the same week, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Distinguished Professor at Kyoto University, along with his co-researchers.
Professor Sakaguchi was recognized for his “discovery of the mechanism that suppresses immune responses,” which has been highly valued for its potential to contribute to the prevention and treatment of immune-related diseases such as autoimmune disorders and cancer.
Meanwhile, Professor Kitagawa was honored for his development of “metal-organic frameworks (MOFs),” porous materials that allow gases to move freely in and out, which are expected to have wide-ranging applications in fields such as environmental and energy issues by containing CO2 while filtering out hydrogen as well as the development of new materials.