As parliament wraps up with debates for the 2025 fiscal year budget, attention in Japan's political world is turning to the summer Upper House election and beyond.
That is prompting questions about whether at least one opposition party could join the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito ruling coalition after the votes have been counted and, if so, whether there would be a new prime minister and who that person might be.
The current situation, in which the minority government of the LDP-Komeito coalition needs opposition votes to pass legislation, has created concerns about the administration’s long-term stability in dealing with domestic and diplomatic issues. Of particular concern is its relationship with the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump.
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