key takeaways
- Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae faces a difficult decision about how to handle the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-Ishin no Kai electoral reform bill, which has been held up by the opposition.
- Whatever option she chooses, she risks undermining a critical pillar of her government’s support.
- This issue has exposed the degree to which Takaichi’s partnership with Ishin is a personal partnership, not a coalition between the LDP and Ishin, as the former is reluctant to take risks to satisfy the latter.