PRESS CONFERENCE
Will Takaichi Become Japan's Next Leader? 
Chiyako Sato, Expert Senior Writer, Editorial Board, The Mainichi Shimbun 

Masato Kamikubo, Professor, College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University

15:00-16:00 Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English or Japanese with English interpretation.

Less than two weeks ago, the Liberal Democratic Party chose Sanae Takaichi, known for her rightwing, hawkish views, as its new president. Her victory is notable shift by the party away from the more centrist Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. After Takaichi gave a party post to her ally Koichi Hagiuda -- heavily tainted by the 2024 slush fund scandal -- an angry Komeito ended the 26-year-old coalition agreement. The LDP now faces perhaps the greatest crisis in its 70-year history, as it struggles to put together a new coalition. To explain what happened and peer into the future, FCCJ welcomes two distinguished political experts.

Chiyako Sato, a senior editorial writer for the Mainichi Shimbun, is one of Japan's most-well known political commentators. In 2017, she became the first-ever female head of a mainstream Japanese media political desk after a long career, including a stint at the paper's Washington D.C. bureau where she covered the Iraq war. Sato’s book "Ossan no Kabe" or "The Wall of Middle-Aged Men" is an eye-opening account of her experiences in male-dominated Nagata-cho.

Masato Kamikubo, a political scientist at Ritsumeikan University, is a specialist in contemporary Japanese politics. He earned his Ph.D. in politics and international studies from the University of Warwick in the UK. Recently, Kamikubo-sensei has focused on the rise of populist parties like Sanseito and how they are now influencing, and posing a threat to, traditional established parties like the LDP. He spoke about this topic to the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation immediately after July's Upper House election.

How to attend: 
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live  

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/39nq5cZTKqnZtzgcA      

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.

Professional Activities Committee