A delegation from Japan's Ishin no Kai, known in English as the Japan Innovation Party, traveled to Taiwan this week as speculation swirls in Tokyo over whether Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will bring party members into a reshuffled cabinet. Co-representative Fumitake Fujita told reporters in Taipei on September 8 that more than half of the personnel rumors circulating in the Japanese press were simply not true, though he predicted Takaichi would formally announce her cabinet plans before the end of the month.
Ishin no Kai entered into a governing arrangement with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in October 2025, providing outside cooperation that helped clear the way for Takaichi, the LDP's president, to become prime minister. With the Takaichi cabinet's approval ratings sliding since then, Japanese outlets including Kyodo News have reported that she plans to reshuffle senior LDP leadership and cabinet posts on September 16, with appointments for vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries expected to be finalized by September 18. Some reports suggest Ishin no Kai members could formally join the cabinet for the first time, deepening the coalition.
Fujita Says Over Half The Cabinet Rumors Are Wrong
It was against this backdrop that the "Japan Innovation Party-Republic of China (Taiwan) Friendship Parliamentary League" arrived in Taipei, meeting Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung on September 7 before calling on President Lai Ching-te at the Presidential Office the following afternoon. Asked whether specific names or posts for Ishin members had already been settled, Fujita said he understood why the public was fascinated by the personnel speculation given how much coverage it has generated, "but more than half of it just isn't accurate, and I find myself laughing when I read it."
Fujita added that he respects the reporters who actually know what is happening but have chosen not to publish it prematurely. Regardless of the final lineup, he said, Takaichi will lay out the personnel arrangements publicly within the month. He also stressed that Ishin no Kai takes its coalition agreement with the LDP seriously and remains focused on accelerating reforms that have not yet been carried out.
Asked about the 48 point coalition agreement Ishin no Kai reached with the LDP, Fujita explained that Taiwan is not mentioned directly in the text. Provisions on security, diplomacy and intelligence, he said, are primarily aimed at strengthening Japan's own capabilities, but those same policies would also help Japan contribute to stability across East Asia and the wider Pacific.
He emphasized that such policies would inevitably affect Taiwan and other parties in the region. Even without naming Taiwan explicitly, he said, the agreement makes clear that Japan is willing to contribute to regional peace and stability.
Lai Ching-te Thanks Ishin For Championing Taiwan's Cause
According to a readout from the Presidential Office, President Lai told the visiting lawmakers that Ishin no Kai has long been an important friend to Taiwan, noting that the party has called for Japan to strengthen its own defense capabilities and has listed Taiwan as a partner sharing common values in its "Eight Reforms" party platform.
Lai said he believes that under the joint governing framework between the LDP and Ishin no Kai, Japan and Taiwan will continue making greater contributions to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the wider Indo-Pacific. He also said he hopes Taiwan and Japan can join forces with Ishin no Kai's support to build a supply chain independent of Chinese state influence and strengthen the resilience of what he called the democratic supply chain.
A Japanese Version Of The Taiwan Relations Act Still Faces Hurdles
Reporters also asked about a separate cross party delegation of seven Japanese lawmakers visiting Taiwan the same day, after Japan Conservative Party councillor Haruo Kitamura pledged to push for Japanese equivalents of the U.S. Taiwan Relations Act and Taiwan Travel Act once he returned home. Fujita said such legislation would first require clarifying a number of technical questions. More important for now, he said, is a position Ishin no Kai has already staked out: that Japan must strengthen its strategic autonomy to secure stability across East Asia and the Pacific, and that the U.S.-Japan alliance remains indispensable to that goal.
Fujita said Japan should build on a stronger U.S.-Japan alliance before deepening ties with allies and partners such as the Philippines and Australia. Taiwan, he said, is also a very important friend in the region, and the priority for now should be strengthening economic and trade ties with Taiwan specifically. "I believe this is the area we should focus on first," he said.
Lawmakers Say Taiwan Visits Reflect Growing Attention In Tokyo
Asked about the recent string of Japanese delegations visiting Taiwan, coinciding with reports that a separate cross party group of Japanese lawmakers may also travel to China, Ishin no Kai adviser and House of Representatives member Nobuyuki Baba noted that many of the lawmakers currently in Taiwan belong to Ishin no Kai, reflecting the party's high level of attention to Taiwan alongside other members of Japan's parliament.
Baba said individual lawmakers deciding on their own to travel abroad is itself an important part of expanding Japan's diplomatic reach. He said Ishin no Kai's broader goal is for Japan to be equipped to mediate conflicts and assist peace negotiations on the international stage, including in the event of war.
