Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) officials released an outline of their new platform over the weekend that contained no mention of its original promises to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade accord, get out of nuclear power by the 2030s and halve the number of Diet seats.
The absence of these goals reflects the growing power of party leader Shintaro Ishihara over its founder and deputy chief, Toru Hashimoto, who doubles as Osaka mayor, and the original members of Nippon Ishin, who had included those goals in their previous platform.
Ishihara opposes the TPP, advocates continued nuclear power for energy and for diplomacy, and does not think halving the number of Diet seats is practical.