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Ex-LDP secretary general Nikai in Beijing

Toshihiro Nikai (L), a heavyweight in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party who is leading a cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers, holds talks with China's top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing on Aug. 28, 2024.

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LDP eyes punishing members over scandal, leaves out Kishida

TOKYO, Japan, April 1 Kyodo -The Liberal Democratic Party said Monday it will pursue punishment for 39 members over a political funds scandal that has rattled the ruling party since late last year, notably excluding Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and party heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai who has decided not to seek reelection as a lawmaker.The LDP has come under intense scrutiny since some of its factions, including the largest one formerly led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, were found to have neglected to report portions of fundraising party revenue for years, with hundreds of millions of yen passed back to members.(Kyodo)

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

TOKYO, Japan, March 25 Kyodo - Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, attends a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction. (Kyodo)

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, attends a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction.

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

Toshihiro Nikai (front), a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, bows at the end of a press conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction.

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, bows during a press conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction.

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, holds a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction.

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, holds a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction.

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, holds a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction.

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LDP heavyweight Nikai at press conference

Toshihiro Nikai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, holds a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on March 25, 2024. The former LDP secretary general said he will not run in the next general election, following a political funds scandal that engulfed his intraparty faction.

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Ex-LDP upper house heavyweight Mikio Aoki dies at 89

Photo taken in April 2000 shows then Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Mikio Aoki speaking at a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo as chief Cabinet secretary. Aoki, who was elected to the House of Councillors a total of four times from 1986 onwards before retiring from politics in 2010, died on June 11, 2023 at age 89.

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Ex-LDP upper house heavyweight Mikio Aoki dies at 89

Former Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Mikio Aoki, known to have held strong influence while head of the party's caucus in the House of Councillors, is pictured in January 2000 in Tokyo. Aoki, who was elected to the upper house a total of four times from 1986 onwards before retiring from politics in 2010, died on June 11, 2023 at age 89.

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LDP upper house veteran Aoki to seek reelection

MATSUE, Japan - Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Mikio Aoki speaks about his intention to seek reelection to the House of Councillors this summer at a news conference on Jan. 18, 2010, in Matsue, the capital of Shimane Prefecture where he has been elected four times to a six-year term.

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LDP heavyweight Tsushima to retire as politician

TOKYO, Japan - Yuji Tsushima (in this undated file photo), a lawmaker who leads a key faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is set to retire and will not run in the Aug. 30 general election.

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Fukuda not to run in LDP presidential election

TOKYO, Japan - Yasuo Fukuda (file photo), a Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, told his associates on July 21 that he has decided against running in the Sept. 20 LDP presidential election, a move likely to boost Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe's chances of winning the election and becoming Japan's next prime minister.

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Yamasaki consoled by Aoki

TOKYO, Japan - Mikio Aoki (R), a heavyweight within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), consoles Taku Yamasaki, who was replaced by Shinzo Abe as party secretary general in a leadership shake-up on Sept. 21. Yamasaki was named party vice president.

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(1)LDP heavyweight Nonaka to retire from politics

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromu Nonaka, an influential member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, announces his intention to retire from politics without running in the next election at a news conference at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Sept. 9.

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(2)LDP heavyweight Nonaka to retire from politics

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromu Nonaka, an influential member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, leaves the party headquarters in Tokyo on Sept. 9 after announcing his intention to retire from politics without running in the next election.

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Kato rules out resignation

TOKYO, Japan - Former ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight Koichi Kato answers media questions at his office in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki on March 29. Kato ruled out the possibility he will quit the legislature in the near future and expressed his intention to address allegations of misuse of political funds.

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LDP No. 2 backs Nonaka as Mori's successor

SAPPORO, Japan - File photo shows ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Makoto Koga, who expressed support in Sapporo on March 31 for party heavyweight Hiromu Nonaka to succeed Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. ''I hope Mr. Nonaka will stay at the pivot of Japan's administration and work at the top of his ability,'' said Koga, the party's second-in-command after Mori, who is the LDP's president.

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Ex-LDP heavyweight Murakami quits Diet over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - A post bearing the name of Masakuni Murakami, a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party, lies on its side Feb. 26 at his seat in the House of Councillors in Tokyo. A plenary session of the upper house endorsed his resignation the same day. Murakami allegedly received 50 million yen in cash in 1996 from Tadao Koseki, head of KSD, a scandal-tainted mutual aid foundation.

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LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Mikio Aoki, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party upper house caucus, speaks to reporters Feb. 22 on resignation offered earlier in the day by LDP upper house member Masakuni Murakami. The LDP heavyweight has been under fire over his links to scandal-hit mutual aid foundation KSD.

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LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit Diet over scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight member Masakuni Murakami (file photo) has decided to quit the House of Councillors over his links to scandal-hit mutual aid foundation KSD, from which he allegedly received massive financial support, LDP sources said Feb. 22. Murakami conveyed his decision to senior members of an LDP faction to which he belongs during a meeting the same day.

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LDP's Kato surrounded by reporters out front of his home

TOKYO, Japan - Koichi Kato, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight, is surrounded by reporters out front of his home in Tokyo's Minato Ward in the morning on Nov. 18. Kato reiterated he will vote for a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's cabinet expected to be submitted to the Diet by opposition parties Nov. 20. Kato is a former LDP secretary general who heads the LDP's second largest faction.

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LDP to join coalition partners to fight Kato rebellion

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromu Nonaka (C), secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and senior party members meet in Tokyo on Nov. 14 to reconfirm the party will join its two other coalition partners to fight a possible no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. LDP heavyweight Koichi Kato said earlier that if the opposition were to submit a no-confidence motion to the Diet, he may skip the related Diet sessions, effectively giving support to the motion.

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Mori, Nonaka, Kamei in huddle

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori (R) huddles with two top senior officials of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Diet on Nov. 13 to discuss how to respond to LDP heavyweight Koichi Kato's demands for Mori's resignation. Mori chats with LDP Secretary General Hiromu Nonaka (C) and LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei.

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LDP factions favoring Mori agree to keep supporting cabinet

TOKYO, Japan - Junichiro Koizumi (far L), chairman of a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) faction led by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Ryutaro Hashimoto (2nd from L), who heads his LDP faction, and three other leaders of LDP factions in favor of Prime Minister Mori's administration hold talks at a Tokyo hotel on the night of Nov. 11. The meeting followed LDP heavyweight Koichi Kato's intensified calls for Mori to resign. The leader confirmed they will continue supporting the Mori government.

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LDP's Nonaka, Aoki discuss ways to deal with Kato

KYOTO, Japan - Hiromu Nonaka (R), secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), discuss with former Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki how to deal with confusion within the LDP at a Kyoto hotel on Nov. 11, a day after party heavyweight Koichi Kato intensified his pressure on embattled Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori by saying he has no plans to defend Mori in the event of a no-confidence motion.

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LDP's Kato reiterates plan to skip Diet sessions

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows Liberal Democratic Party's heavyweight Koichi Kato leaving his office in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district on Nov. 11. He reiterated earlier in the day his plan to skip related Diet sessions should the opposition submit a no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and the Diet act on it.

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LDP's Kato may skip no-confidence vote if called

SAGA, Japan - Ruling party heavyweight Koichi Kato on Nov. 10 fields questions from reporters in Saga, western Japan, as he reportedly put further pressure on embattled Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. Kato was quoted by political sources as saying he may be absent from the Diet if the opposition submits a no-confidence motion against Mori and the Diet acts on it.

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LDP's Koizumi raps expansionary fiscal policy

TOKYO, Japan - Junichiro Koizumi, a heavyweight in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a strong advocate of structural reform, gives a lecture at Kyodo News' head office in Tokyo on Sept. 26. Koizumi, who heads an intraparty faction to which Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori belongs, slammed the government's expansionary fiscal policy for worsening Japan's runaway debts.

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LDP candidate Kato visits ex-premier Ikeda

TOKYO, Japan - Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight Koichi Kato, one of three candidates in the Sept. 21 leadership race in the ruling party, visits the grave in Tokyo of former prime minister Hayato Ikeda on Aug. 14. Ikeda, who served as premier in 1960-64 belonged to the ''Kochi-kai'' faction of the LDP. It was later renamed the Kato faction. The photo shows Kato (C) and his wife Aiko (R).

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Kato rules out resignation

TOKYO, Japan - Former ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight Koichi Kato answers media questions at his office in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki on March 29. Kato ruled out the possibility he will quit the legislature in the near future and expressed his intention to address allegations of misuse of political funds.

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LDP heavyweight calls for talks on whether SDF are "military forces"

Photo taken in Tokyo in February 2017 shows former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The veteran lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said on June 14, 2017 that his party should explore the issue of whether to recognize the Self-Defense Forces as a "military" during discussions on changing Japan's postwar Constitution. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Fukuda not to run in LDP presidential election

TOKYO, Japan - Yasuo Fukuda (file photo), a Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight, told his associates on July 21 that he has decided against running in the Sept. 20 LDP presidential election, a move likely to boost Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe's chances of winning the election and becoming Japan's next prime minister. (Kyodo)

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LDP heavyweight Tsushima to retire as politician

TOKYO, Japan - Yuji Tsushima (in this undated file photo), a lawmaker who leads a key faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is set to retire and will not run in the Aug. 30 general election. (Kyodo)

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Yamasaki consoled by Aoki

TOKYO, Japan - Mikio Aoki (R), a heavyweight within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), consoles Taku Yamasaki, who was replaced by Shinzo Abe as party secretary general in a leadership shake-up on Sept. 21. Yamasaki was named party vice president. (Kyodo)

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(1)LDP heavyweight Nonaka to retire from politics

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromu Nonaka, an influential member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, announces his intention to retire from politics without running in the next election at a news conference at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Sept. 9. (Kyodo)

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LDP heavyweight Ishiba to step down as faction chief

Shigeru Ishiba, a former secretary general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, gets in a car after attending a meeting in Tokyo on Oct. 22, 2020. Ishiba announced his intention the same day to step down as head of his own intraparty faction, following a poor showing in the LDP presidential election in September.

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LDP heavyweight to attend forum in China, hand letter from Abe to Xi

Toshihiro Nikai (C), secretary general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 11, 2017. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said a day later that Nikai will attend an international economic forum in Beijing from May 14 and plans to deliver a letter from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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LDP heavyweight to attend forum in China, hand letter from Abe to Xi

Toshihiro Nikai (C), secretary general of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 11, 2017. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said a day later that Nikai will attend an international economic forum in Beijing from May 14 and plans to deliver a letter from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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LDP heavyweight backs Abe's 3rd term as ruling party leader

Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks in an interview with Kyodo News at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo on Jan. 22, 2017. Nikai expressed support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe serving a third term as party president, while ruling out a general election in the near future. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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(2)LDP heavyweight Nonaka to retire from politics

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromu Nonaka, an influential member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, leaves the party headquarters in Tokyo on Sept. 9 after announcing his intention to retire from politics without running in the next election. (Kyodo)

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LDP No. 2 backs Nonaka as Mori's successor

SAPPORO, Japan - File photo shows ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Makoto Koga, who expressed support in Sapporo on March 31 for party heavyweight Hiromu Nonaka to succeed Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. ''I hope Mr. Nonaka will stay at the pivot of Japan's administration and work at the top of his ability,'' said Koga, the party's second-in-command after Mori, who is the LDP's president.

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Murakami arrested over KSD bribery case

TOKYO, Japan - Former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight Masakuni Murakami (R in the photo taken in September 1996) was arrested on March 1 in connection with alleged bribetaking from scandal-tainted mutual aid foundation KSD. Shaking hands with Murakami at a Tokyo hotel is then KSD head Tadao Koseki.

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Ex-LDP heavyweight Murakami quits Diet over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - A post bearing the name of Masakuni Murakami, a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party, lies on its side Feb. 26 at his seat in the House of Councillors in Tokyo. A plenary session of the upper house endorsed his resignation the same day. Murakami allegedly received 50 million yen in cash in 1996 from Tadao Koseki, head of KSD, a scandal-tainted mutual aid foundation.

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LDP heavyweight Murakami to quit over KSD scandal

TOKYO, Japan - Mikio Aoki, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party upper house caucus, speaks to reporters Feb. 22 on resignation offered earlier in the day by LDP upper house member Masakuni Murakami. The LDP heavyweight has been under fire over his links to scandal-hit mutual aid foundation KSD.

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LDP's Kato surrounded by reporters out front of his home

TOKYO, Japan - Koichi Kato, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweight, is surrounded by reporters out front of his home in Tokyo's Minato Ward in the morning on Nov. 18. Kato reiterated he will vote for a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's cabinet expected to be submitted to the Diet by opposition parties Nov. 20. Kato is a former LDP secretary general who heads the LDP's second largest faction.

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LDP to join coalition partners to fight Kato rebellion

TOKYO, Japan - Hiromu Nonaka (C), secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and senior party members meet in Tokyo on Nov. 14 to reconfirm the party will join its two other coalition partners to fight a possible no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. LDP heavyweight Koichi Kato said earlier that if the opposition were to submit a no-confidence motion to the Diet, he may skip the related Diet sessions, effectively giving support to the motion.

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Mori, Nonaka, Kamei in huddle

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori (R) huddles with two top senior officials of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Diet on Nov. 13 to discuss how to respond to LDP heavyweight Koichi Kato's demands for Mori's resignation. Mori chats with LDP Secretary General Hiromu Nonaka (C) and LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei.