PRESS CONFERENCE
Nobuyuki Baba, Japan Innovation Party, Representative

15:00-16:00 Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

What's Next for The Japan Innovation Party?
Since taking over the Kansai-centric opposition Japan Innovation Party in 2022, Nobuyuki Baba has led the effort to turn it into a truly national party. Adopting what he says is a "hop, skip, and jump" strategy, the JIP is attempting to build from the bottom up, strengthening its local electoral base first with an eye toward then expanding its presence in the Diet. In last year's nationwide local elections, the party won big, securing over 770 seats. It also beat the LDP candidate in a Wakayama prefecture in a Lower House by election that same month.

But the JIP's progress seems to have stalled. The party remains unable to rise in media popularity polls. The well-publicized problems with the 2025 Osaka Kansai Japan Expo, and the need to budget central government funds to rebuild Ishikawa prefecture following the quake, have led to calls among citizens, politicians, and major corporate leaders in Osaka for the event to be postponed or canceled. The JIP finds itself forced to rely on its LDP rivals to support an increasingly unpopular and expensive Expo. Please join to learn what the party's strategy is for making the final "jump" to becoming a ruling party, while dealing with low popularity ratings and growing national opposition to the Expo project in its home base of Osaka.

How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/sbS5NFpNWB67B2UF6
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.

Professional Activities Committee