In a highly unusual move, ruling coalition junior partner Komeito has said that it will continue talking with the Liberal Democratic Party about remaining in the coalition, as the party and its core supporters remain concerned about new LDP President Sanae Takaichi.
The refusal by Komeito to immediately endorse Takaichi, a hard-line conservative hawk, reflects deep apprehension among millions of Soka Gakkai members, the party’s main supporters in the lay Buddhist group, about her ideology and policies.
After meeting with Takaichi on Tuesday, Komeito’s leader Tetsuo Saito outlined a number of concerns the party and its Soka Gakkai members have with Takaichi, especially her desire to visit Yasukuni Shrine and the lack of LDP party executives with close ties to Komeito.
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