The LDP regained stability during the premiership ofJunichiro Koizumi in the 2000s, gaining significant amount of seats in 2005, before achieving its worst-ever electoral result in 2009, where theDemocratic Party of Japan gained a majority. In 2012, the party underShinzo Abe regained control of the government with a landslide victory, although it lost seats in subsequent elections. Since 2017, theConstitutional Democratic Party (CDP) has been its primary opponent in national politics. After the 2024 and 2025 elections, the LDP lost its majority in both houses of theNational Diet, and its coalition withKomeito broke down, leading it to form theLDP–JIP coalition. Led by Takaichi, the party regained a majority in theHouse of Representatives, winning the biggest number of seats in Japanese electoral history in 2026, holding 316 seats in the House of Representatives and 101 seats in theHouse of Councillors.
The LDP is often described as abig tent conservative party, includingfactions that range frommoderate conservatism tofar-right andultraconservative. Although lacking a cohesive political ideology, the party's platform has historically supported increased defense spending revisingArticle 9 of the Constitution to codify the status of theJapan Self-Defense Forces, maintaining close ties with the United States and since the 21st century also pursuing close relations with itsIndo-Pacific allies to counter the rise of China as asuperpower. The party's history and internal composition has been characterized by intense factionalism among its members since its emergence in 1955.
The LDP was formed in 1955,[14] a result of a merger between two of Japan's political parties, theLiberal Party (自由党,Jiyutō; 1950–1955, led byTaketora Ogata) and theJapan Democratic Party (日本民主党,Nihon Minshutō; 1954–1955, led byIchirō Hatoyama), bothconservative parties, as a united front against the then popularJapan Socialist Party (日本社会党,Nipponshakaitō), now theSocial Democratic Party (社会民主党,Shakaiminshutō). The party won the following elections, and Japan's first conservative government with a majority was formed by 1955. It would hold majority government until 1993.[15]
The LDP began with reformingJapan's international relations, ranging from entry into the United Nations to establishing diplomatic ties with theSoviet Union. Its leaders in the 1950s also made the LDP the main government party, and in all the elections of the 1950s, the LDP won the majority vote, with the only other opposition coming fromleft-wing politics, made up of the Japan Socialist Party and theJapanese Communist Party. From the 1950s to the early 1970s, the United StatesCentral Intelligence Agency spent millions of dollars to aid the LDP against leftist parties such as the Socialists and the Communists,[16][17] although this was not revealed until the mid-1990s when it was exposed byThe New York Times.[18] Details remain classified, while available documents show connections to prime ministersNobusuke Kishi andEisaku Satō from theSatō–Kishi–Abe family.[19][20][21]
For the majority of the 1960s, the LDP and Japan were led byEisaku Satō, beginning with the hosting of the1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and ending in 1972 with Japanese neutrality in theVietnam War and with the beginning of theJapanese asset price bubble. By the end of the 1970s, the LDP went into its decline, where even though it held the reins of government many scandals plagued the party, while the opposition (now joined withKōmeitō) gained momentum. In 1976, in the wake of theLockheed bribery scandals, a handful of younger LDPNational Diet members broke away and established their own party, theNew Liberal Club (Shin Jiyu Kurabu). A decade later, it was reabsorbed by the LDP.[22]
By the late 1970s, the Japan Socialist Party, the Japanese Communist Party, and Komeito along with the international community used major pressure to have Japan switch diplomatic ties fromTaiwan (Republic of China) to thePeople's Republic of China. In 1983, the LDP was a founding member of theInternational Democracy Union.[23] Despite winning the1986 Japanese general election by a landslide, the LDP started to suffer setbacks in elections by the end of the 1980s, mainly due to unpopular policies on trade liberalisation and tax, as well as a scandal involving their leaderSōsuke Uno and theRecruit scandal. In the1989 Japanese House of Councillors election, the party lost its majority in theHouse of Councillors for the first time in 34 years.[24]
Seven opposition parties, including several formed by LDP dissidents, formed theHosokawa Cabinet headed byJapan New Party leader and LDP dissidentMorihiro Hosokawa, who became the prime minister preceded byKiichi Miyazawa; however, the LDP was still far and away the largest party in the House of Representatives, with well over 200 seats; no other individual party crossed the 80-seat mark.Yohei Kono became the president of the LDP preceded byKiichi Miyazawa, he was the first non-prime minister LDP leader as the leader of the opposition.
In 1994, the Japan Socialist Party and New Party Sakigake left the ruling coalition, joining the LDP in the opposition. The remaining members of the coalition tried to stay in power as the minorityHata Cabinet under the leadership ofTsutomu Hata, but this failed when the LDP and the Socialists, bitter rivals for 40 years, formed a majority coalition. TheMurayama Cabinet was dominated by the LDP, but it allowed SocialistTomiichi Murayama to occupy the Prime Minister's chair until 1996 when the LDP'sRyutaro Hashimoto took over.
In the1996 Japanese general election, the LDP made some gains but was still 12 seats short of a majority. However, no other party could possibly form a government, and Hashimoto formed a solidly LDP minority government. Through a series of floor-crossings, the LDP regained its majority within a year. The LDP remained the largest party in both houses of the National Diet until the2007 Japanese House of Councillors election held on 29 July, when the LDP lost its majority in the upper house.[26]
In the2007 LDP leadership election, held on 23 September, the LDP electedYasuo Fukuda as its president. Fukuda defeatedTarō Asō for the post, receiving 330 votes against 197 votes for Aso.[27][28] Fukuda resigned suddenly in September 2008, and Asō became Prime Minister after winning the2008 LDP presidential election against four other candidates. In the2009 Japanese general election, the LDP was roundly defeated, winning only 118 seats—easily the worst defeat of a sitting government in modern Japanese history, and also the first real transfer of political power in the post-war era. Accepting responsibility for this severe defeat, Aso announced his resignation as LDP president on election night.Sadakazu Tanigaki won the2009 LDP leadership election on 28 September.[29]
Liberal Democratic Hall Bldg., Headquarters of the LDP in Tokyo
The LDP's support continued to decline, with prime ministers changing rapidly, and the2009 Japanese general election saw the party losing its majority, winning only 118 seats, marking the only time they would be out of the majority other than a brief period in 1993, until 2024.[30][31] Since that time, numerous party members left to join other parties or form new ones, includingYour Party (みんなの党,Minna no Tō),[citation needed] theSunrise Party of Japan (たちあがれ日本,Tachiagare Nippon),[32] and theNew Renaissance Party (新党改革,Shintō Kaikaku).[citation needed] The party had some success in the2010 Japanese House of Councilors election, netting 13 additional seats and denying theDPJ a majority.[33][34]Shinzo Abe became the president again in September 2012 after a five-way race. The LDP returned to power with its allyNew Komeito after winning a clear majority in the2012 Japanese general election after over three years in opposition. Abe became Prime Minister for the second time preceded byYoshihiko Noda who was the leader of the DPJ.[35][36]
In July 2015, the party and Abe pushed for expanded military powers to fight in foreign conflict through theLegislation for Peace and Security, which was supported byKomeito.[37]Yoshihide Suga took over from Abe in September 2020 aftera three-way race. After Suga declined to run for re-election, successorFumio Kishida led the party to a victory in the2021 Japanese general election after a four-way party leadership race, defying expectations.[38] Despite support dropping in 2022 after theassassination of Abe over connections between various party members and the Unification Church, the party had a good showing in the2023 Japanese unified local elections, winning over half of the 2260 prefectural assembly seats being contested and six governorship positions.[39] From 18 to 19 January 2024, following theLDP slush fund scandal involving failure to report and misuse of ¥600 million in campaign funds by party members of the conservativeSeiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai andShisuikai factions in violation of Japanese campaign finance and election law, three factions (Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai, Shisuikai, in addition to Prime Minister Kishida'sKōchikai) all announced their intention to dissolve entirely in hopes of restoring public trust.[40][41] Several LDP lawmakers were indicted, including incumbent lawmakersYasutada Ōno andYaichi Tanigawa, who both resigned from the party following their indictments.[42]
In the2024 Japanese general election, the governing LDP and its coalition partnerKomeito lost their parliamentary majority in the lower house for the first time since 2009, with the LDP suffering its second-worst result in its history, securing only 191 seats. TheConstitutional Democratic Party (CDP), the main opposition party led by former Prime MinisterYoshihiko Noda, achieved its best result in its history, increasing its seat count from 96 to 148. This was the first general election in Japan since 1955 wherein no party secured at least 200 seats. The election outcome is largely attributed to a major slush fund scandal that emerged in November. Millions of yen raised at LDP faction events were illegally funneled into secret accounts, violating political financing laws. This scandal implicated 82 lawmakers from both parliamentary houses, including factions associated with former Prime Minister Abe and then-Prime MinisterFumio Kishida. The scandal, combined with low approval ratings and economic stagnation, led to Kishida's resignation in August. His successor, Prime MinisterShigeru Ishiba, called for a snap election in September to bolster support; however, the LDP's attempts to distance itself from the scandal backfired when reports surfaced that the party continued to provide funds to chapters headed by implicated members. In response to the election results, the prime minister has committed to implementing fundamental reforms regarding money in politics. The LDP's coalition partner Komeito also performed poorly, with its leader Keiichi Ishii losing his seat and subsequently announcing his resignation. This electoral setback is particularly significant for the LDP, which has held power almost continuously since 1955, highlighting the impact of the corruption scandal on public trust in the party.[43]
In the2025 Japanese House of Councillors election, the governing coalition lost its majority in the upper house. This marked the first time in the LDP's history that it did not control either house in the National Diet. After Ishiba announced his resignation,Sanae Takaichi was elected to succeed him. She is the first woman to hold the role of party president. In October 2025, Komeito chief representativeTetsuo Saito announced that it would leave the ruling coalition, over disagreements with Takaichi's leadership.[44] As a result, Takaichi negotiated aconfidence and supply agreement with theJapan Innovation Party.[45][46][47] The agreement was signed on 20 October,[48] with Takaichi then taking office as Japan's first female prime minister on 21 October.[49] On 23 January 2026, Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives, allowing asnap election to be held on 8 February.[50] The2026 Japanese general election resulted in a historic landslide victory for the LDP, with the party winning an outright two-thirds supermajority and regaining its majority status in the chamber. The LDP's total of at least 316 seats is the most ever won by a party in Japanese electoral history. Analysts credited the party's victory to Takaichi's high personal popularity at the time of the election.[51][52]
The LDP members hold a variety of positions that could be broadly defined as being to the right of main opposition parties. Many of its ministers, including former Prime MinistersFumio Kishida,[68]Yoshihide Suga,[69] andShinzo Abe, are or were affiliated with the parliamentary league ofNippon Kaigi, a lobby group described asfar-right and ultraconservative.[70][71] In Japanese politics, the convention is to classify the LDP and theJapanese Communist Party as occupying the conservative and progressive ends of theleft–right spectrum, respectively; however, this classification has faced challenges, especially among younger generations, since the 1990s.[72]
Observers compared the LDP to thecorporatist-inspired model of conservative parties, such as theChristian Democratic Union of Germany, in its relative openness towardseconomic interventionism,mixed market coordination, andpublic expenditure, particularly when compared toneoliberal orthodoxy.[73] In the case of the LDP administration under the1955 System, their degree of economic control was stronger than that of Western conservative governments, and was positioned closer tosocial democracy.[74] Since the 1970s, the oil crisis slowed economic growth and increased the resistance of urban citizens to policies that favor farmers.[75] To maintain its dominant position, the LDP sought to expand party supporters by incorporating social security policies and pollution measures advocated by opposition parties.[75] It was also historically closely positioned tocorporate statism.[76][77]
On foreign policy, the LDP has been pro-American. Into the 21st century, especially since the 2020s, the LDP established closer relations with its Indo-Pacific allies as a counter-power to China. In October 2021, the LDP said it would "reconsider" its response to the increase of China's military activity in theTaiwan Strait and small islands in theWestern Pacific Ocean that are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China. The LDP government aimed to raise its defense budget "with an eye to bringing it even above two percent" of GDP from the one percent of past decades.[78]
Intensefactionalism has characterized the Liberal Democratic Party's history and internal composition ever since its emergence in 1955.[79][80] Despite the change of factions, their history can be traced back to their 1955 roots, a testament to the stability and institutionalized nature of Liberal Democratic Party factions.[81] All major factions that have existed in the history of the party can be categorised into the following two groups: the Conservative Mainstream (保守本流), which originated fromShigeru Yoshida'sLiberal Party,[82] and the Conservative Substream (保守傍流), which traces its roots toIchirō Hatoyama'sJapan Democratic Party.[83]
In the aftermath of the slush fund scandal involving members of the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai and the Shisuikai, then-party president and prime minister Fumio Kishida decided to dissolve all factions in January 2024.[86] All factions, except for Shikōkai, led by former prime minister Tarō Asō, complied with this directive, making it the only extant faction.[87][88]
At the apex of the LDP's formal organization is thepresident (総裁,sōsai), who can serve three-year terms for three times.[89] The presidential term was increased from two years to three years in 2002 and from two to three terms in 2017. When the party has a parliamentary majority, the party president is also theprime minister of Japan. The choice of party president is formally that of a party convention composed ofNational Diet members and local LDP figures, but in most cases, they merely approved the joint decision of the most powerful party leaders.[citation needed] To make the system more democratic, Prime MinisterTakeo Fukuda introduced a "primary" system in 1978, which opened the balloting to some 1.5 million LDP members.[citation needed] The process was so costly and acrimonious that it was subsequently abandoned in favor of the old "smoke-filled room" method—so called in allusion to the notion of closed discussions held in small rooms filled withtobacco smoke.[citation needed] After the party president, the most important LDP officials are theSecretary-General (kanjichō), the chairmen of the LDP Executive Council (sōmukaichō), and of the Policy Affairs Research Council or "PARC" (政務調査会,seimu chōsakai).[citation needed]
The LDP had over 5.5 million party members in 1991.[91] By December 2017, membership had dropped to approximately one million members.[92] In 2023, the LDP had 1,091,075 members, a decrease of 33,688 from the year before.[93]
Florian Coulmas, ed. (2023).Japanese Propriety, Past and Present: Disciplined Liberalism. Taylor & Francis. p. 88.ISBN9781000885835.... in Japan's post-war political discourse often supporting leftist and socialist positions opposed to the ruling right-wing Liberal Democratic Party, which has always been favoured by Washington.
Akito Okada, ed. (2022).Japan's School Curriculum for The 2020s: Politics, Policy, and Pedagogy. Springer Nature. p. 14.ISBN9789811920769.In the case of Japan, the ideological basis of the right-wing LDP had almost no element of liberal (as in libertarian) thought, such as reliance on anti-nationalist liberalism and individualism, or vigilance against a centrally planned economy and welfare system.
Lam Peng Er; Purnendra Jain, eds. (2020).Japan's Foreign Policy in the Twenty-First Century: Continuity and Change. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 96.ISBN9781498587969.The rising tide of hawkish nationalism and historical revisionism spearheaded by the right-wing LDP Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in recent decades seems to confirm the doubt.
Katsuyuki Hidaka, ed. (2016).Japanese Media at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Routledge.ISBN9781134988778.Criticism of the unreservedly right-wing Liberal Democratic Party administration led by Abe Shinzō nevertheless remains strong. Together with advocating for changes to the constitution, the Abe administration has succeeded in passing ...
^日本に定着するか、政党のカラー [Will the colors of political parties settle in Japan?].The Nikkei (in Japanese).Nikkei, Inc. 21 October 2017.Archived from the original on 21 February 2021. Retrieved5 October 2021.
"Shigeru Ishiba to be Japan's leader, winning on fifth attempt".Reuters. 28 September 2024.Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved15 June 2025.'We ought to be a party that lets members discuss the truth in a free and open manner, a party that is fair and impartial on all matters and a party with humility,' he told a press conference after winningthe centre-right party's contest.
^Some observers assessed that the LDP was founded with funds from ultranationalist, and others refer to the LDP asfar-right ultranationalist:
Matthew Pointon, ed. (2017).Across Asia With A Lowlander. Lulu.com. p. 12.ISBN9780244043544.Ever since the culmination of the Second World War, thefar right Liberal Democratic Party has firmly held the reins of power, with only a couple of minor interruptions.
"Beautiful Harmony: Political Project Behind Japan's New Era Name – Analysis".eurasia review. 16 July 2019.The shifting dynamics around the new era name (gengō 元号) offers an opportunity to understand how the domestic politics of theLDP's project of ultranationalism is shaping a new Japan and a new form of nationalism.
Margaret DiCanio PhD, ed. (2004).Encyclopedia of Violence. iUniverse.ISBN9780595316526.In 1955, with funds from theultranationalists, the conservatives merged the Liberal Party with the Democratic Party to form theLiberal Democratic Party (LPD), which effectively held the Japanese Communist Party in check.
Mark R. Mullins, ed. (2021).The Routledge Handbook of Japanese Politics. University of Hawaii Press. p. 94.ISBN9780824890162.The first is provided by Yamatani Eriko, one of the darlings of Shinseiren and a person who represents the far right of the LDP.
"The Dangerous Impact of the Far-Right in Japan".Washington Square News. 15 April 2019.Archived from the original on 12 October 2021. Retrieved19 August 2019.Another sign of the rise of the uyoku dantai's ideas is the growing power of the Nippon Kaigi. The organization is the largest far-right group in Japan and has heavy lobbying clout with the conservative LDP; 18 of the 20 members of Shinzo Abe's cabinet were once members of the group.
"Why Steve Bannon Admires Japan".The Diplomat. 22 June 2018.Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved1 September 2019.In Japan, populist and extreme right-wing nationalism has found a home within the political establishment.
"For Abe, it will always be about the Constitution".The Japan Times. 4 July 2016.Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved8 July 2020.Of those three victories, the first election in December 2012 was a rout of the leftist Democratic Party of Japan and it thrust the more powerful Lower House of Parliament firmly into the hands of the long-incumbent Liberal Democratic Party under Abe. The second election in December 2014 further normalized Japan's lurch to the far right, giving the ruling coalition a supermajority of 2/3 of the seats in the Lower House.
"Shinzo Abe? That's Not His Name, Says Japan's Foreign Minister".The New York Times. 22 May 2019.Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved19 February 2020.Mr. Abe is strongly supported by the far right wing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which hews to tradition and tends toward insularity.
Leonel Lim, Michael W. Apple, ed. (2016).The Strong State and Curriculum Reform: Assessing the politics and possibilities of educational change in Asia.Routledge. p. 167.ISBN9781317579236.... Far right LDP legislators led by Prime Minister (PM) Shinzo ̄ Abe demanded the withdrawal of the 1993 Ko ̄no Statement and attacked the ...
"Japan is having an election next month. Here's why it matters".The Japan Times. 22 November 2014.Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved8 July 2020.When Abe appointed five female ministers in September, two of which were forced to step down over scandals, a number of political commentators viewed the move with some cynicism, suggesting that the prime minister didn't pay much attention to the qualifications of the candidates. Most of the women he chose were ultra-conservatives such as Eriko Yamatani, minister in charge of the North Korea abductee issue.
"As Hiroshima's legacy fades, Japan's postwar pacifism is fraying".The Conversation UK. 6 August 2015.Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved21 February 2020.Even though much of the Japanese public does not agree with the LDP's nationalist platform, the party won big electoral victories by promising to replace the DPJ's weakness with strong leadership – particularly on the economy, but also in foreign affairs.
"Why Steve Bannon Admires Japan".The Diplomat. 22 June 2018.Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved1 September 2019.In Japan, populist and extreme right-wing nationalism has found a home within the political establishment.
"Shinzo Abe and the rise of Japanese nationalism".New Statesman. 15 May 2019.Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved21 February 2020.As a new emperor takes the throne, prime minister Abe is consolidating his ultranationalist "beautiful Japan" project. But can he overcome a falling population and stagnating economy?
Florian Coulmas, ed. (2023).Japanese Propriety, Past and Present: Disciplined Liberalism. Taylor & Francis. p. 88.ISBN9781000885835.... in Japan's post-war political discourse often supporting leftist and socialist positions opposed to the ruling right-wing Liberal Democratic Party, which has always been favoured by Washington.
Akito Okada, ed. (2022).Japan's School Curriculum for The 2020s: Politics, Policy, and Pedagogy. Springer Nature. p. 14.ISBN9789811920769.In the case of Japan, the ideological basis of the right-wing LDP had almost no element of liberal (as in libertarian) thought, such as reliance on anti-nationalist liberalism and individualism, or vigilance against a centrally planned economy and welfare system.
Lam Peng Er; Purnendra Jain, eds. (2020).Japan's Foreign Policy in the Twenty-First Century: Continuity and Change. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 96.ISBN9781498587969.The rising tide of hawkish nationalism and historical revisionism spearheaded by the right-wing LDP Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in recent decades seems to confirm the doubt.
Katsuyuki Hidaka, ed. (2016).Japanese Media at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Routledge.ISBN9781134988778.Criticism of the unreservedly right-wing Liberal Democratic Party administration led by Abe Shinzō nevertheless remains strong. Together with advocating for changes to the constitution, the Abe administration has succeeded in passing ...
S. Carpenter, ed. (2011).Japan's Nuclear Crisis: The Routes to Responsibility. Springer. p. 113.ISBN9780230363717.Kodama quashed all things he regarded as remotely communist and consistently supported the right-wing LDP.
^Japan Almanac.Mainichi Newspapers. 1975. p. 43.In the House of Representatives, the Liberal-Democratic Party, guided by conservative liberalism, is the No.1 party holding a total of 279 seats or 56.8 per cent of the House quorum of 491.
^"Beautiful Harmony: Political Project Behind Japan's New Era Name – Analysis".eurasia review. 16 July 2019.Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved13 August 2019.The shifting dynamics around the new era name (gengō 元号) offers an opportunity to understand how the domestic politics of the LDP's project of ultranationalism is shaping a new Japan and a new form of nationalism.
^"Why Steve Bannon Admires Japan".The Diplomat. 22 June 2018.Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved1 September 2019.In Japan, populist and extreme right-wing nationalism has found a home within the political establishment.
^Masanori Nakamura, ed. (2016).The Japanese Monarchy: Ambassador Joseph Grew and the Making of the "Symbol Emperor System," 1931–1991. M.E. Sharpe. p. 1992.ISBN9781563241093.On July 31, a group of ultranationalist LDP Diet men, alarmed by Nakasone's diplomacy of "submission to foreign pressure" on issues like textbook revision and the Yasukuni Shrine problem, formed the "Association of Those Concerned ...
^S. Carpenter, ed. (2008).Why Japan Can't Reform: Inside the System.Springer. p. 62.ISBN9780230595064.Despite ideological differences with the other main conservative party, the Liberal Party whose president was Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru, the determined Kishi was able to form the ultraconservative Liberal Democratic Party.
^Yoshio Sugimoto, ed. (2020).An Introduction to Japanese Society.Cambridge University Press. p. 242.ISBN9781108724746.Parts of the Japanese establishment have ties with a large far-right voluntary organization, Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference), whose ranks include grassroots members across the nation as well as national and local politicians...
"Tokyo's new governor defies more than glass ceiling".Deutsche Welle. 8 July 2020.Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved2 August 2016.In 2008, she made an unsuccessful run at the LDP's chairmanship. Following her defeat, she worked to build an internal party network and became involved in a revisionist group of lawmakers that serves as the mouthpiece of the ultraconservative Nippon Kaigi ('Japan Conference') movement.
^Palier, Bruno (2022)."How Democracies Change Their Welfare States". In Bruno Palier; Julian L. Garritzmann; Silja Häusermann (eds.).The World Politics of Social Investment: Volume II The Politics of Varying Social Investment Strategies. Oxford University Press. p. 416.ISBN978-0-197-60145-7.
^Tsukamoto, Takashi (2012). "Neoliberalization of the developmental state: Tokyo's bottom-up politics and state rescaling in Japan".International Journal of Urban and Regional Research.36 (1):71–89.doi:10.1111/j.1468-2427.2011.01057.x.
^執行部.Jimin.jp (in Japanese). The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. 8 October 2025.Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved8 October 2025.
^"自民党員7年ぶり減少 108万人、19年末時点".日本経済新聞 (in Japanese). 2 March 2020.Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved21 February 2024.
^"自民党員が３万人減り１０９万人に 不記載事件で「不信招いた」" [Number of LDP members falls by 30,000 to 1.09 million as non-disclosure scandal "causes distrust"].Sankei Shimbun. 12 March 2024.Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved28 October 2024.
Helms, Ludger (2013).Parliamentary Opposition in Old and New Democracies. Routledge Press.ISBN978-1-31797-031-6.
Henderson, Jeffrey (2011).East Asian Transformation: On the Political Economy of Dynamism, Governance and Crisis. Taylor & Francis.ISBN978-1-13684-113-2.
Köllner, Patrick (October 2006). "The Liberal Democratic Party at 50: Sources of Dominance and Changes in the Koizumi Era".Social Science Japan Journal.9 (2):243–257.
Krauss, Ellis S.; Pekkanen, Robert J. (2010). "The Rise and Fall of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party".Journal of Asian Studies.69 (1):5–15. It focuses on the 2009 Japanese general election.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
Krauss, Ellis S.; Pekkanen, Robert J., eds. (2010).The Rise and Fall of Japan's LDP: Political Party Organizations as Historical Institutions. Cornell University Press.ISBN978-0-80147-682-2. 344-page book with essays by scholars.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
Scheiner, Ethan (2006).Democracy Without Competition in Japan: Opposition Failure in a One-Party Dominant State. Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-52184-692-9.
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