As election nears, Rengo chief makes rare appearance at LDP meeting

The head of Japan's largest labor organization, Rengo, attended a meeting Monday of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to discuss social security, a sign that the two sides may be warming to each other ahead of this summer's House of Councilors election.

The participation of Tomoko Yoshino in an LDP meeting is quite rare, bolstering the view that the party is seeking to drive a wedge between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Rengo, a major support base of the main opposition party.

"We would like to work together (with the LDP) to realize policies," Yoshino told reporters after attending the meeting at the request of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's party. "I think we broadly share issues we perceive as challenges."