Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

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This article is part of a series on the
Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
History 1950s 1955 System Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956 U.S.-Japan Security Treaty 1960s Three Non-Nuclear Principles 1970s Lockheed bribery scandals Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China 1980s Recruit scandal Japanese asset price bubble 1990s Recruit scandal Lost Decades 2000s 2001 Central Government Reform Postal service privatization 2010s Abenomics Moritomo Gakuen scandal 2020s 2023–2024 Japanese slush fund scandal
Main ideology Conservatism Japanese nationalism
Related ideology Anti-communism Corporate statism Economic conservatism Economic interventionism Economic liberalism Elitism Ethnic nationalism Liberal conservatism Liberalism Classical liberalism Conservative liberalism Historical revisionism Monarchism Neoconservatism Neoliberalism National conservatism Paternalistic conservatism Progressive conservatism Right-wing populism Social conservatism Traditionalist conservatism Ultranationalism
Related organizations Association of Shinto Shrines Central Intelligence Agency Dentsu Japan Business Federation Japan Conference Japan lobby Japan Medical Association Junior Chamber International Japan Local support groups Pasona Unification Church
Media Sankei Shimbun
Related topics Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party Politics in Japan
Conservatism portal Japan portal
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Factions (派閥, habatsu) are an accepted part of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the ruling party of Japan, which began with eight formal factions when it was first formed by merger in 1955.^[1] A political faction may be defined as a sub-group within a larger organization.^[2] While factions characterize other political parties in Pacific Asia, Japanese factionalism is distinguished by its stability and institutionalization.^[3] Although factions reconstitute themselves from time to time, the habatsu active today can be traced back to their 1955 roots, a testament to the stability and institutionalized nature of Liberal Democratic Party factions.^[4]

Faction leaders offer faction members services without which the followers would find it difficult to survive politically, in exchange for the members' support.^[5] Leaders provide funds for the day-to-day operation of Diet members' offices and staff, as well as financial support during expensive election campaigns. The operating allowances provided by the government are inadequate, even after the introduction of public funding in 1994. The leader also introduces his followers to influential bureaucrats and business people, thus helping faction members respond to their constituents' needs. Due to the LDP's dominance of Japanese politics, factional politics play a key role in deciding Japan's leadership, and the Cabinet is generally formed along factional lines.^[5]

As a result of the 2023–2024 Japanese slush fund scandal, attempts to dissolve the faction system began under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.