Factionalism has often been said to be the hallmark of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled the nation for most of the past 50 years. The LDP landslide in the Sept. 11 Lower House election, however, has dramatically altered the party's internal structure. In particular, its factional politics has undergone qualitative changes.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who assumed the LDP presidency in 2001, has since vowed repeatedly to "smash the party" -- implying, among other things, that he is determined to destroy the factionalism that stands in the way of his structural reform initiatives. He has urged all 83 newly elected LDP legislators not to join any faction.
The LDP has developed largely as a conglomerate of factions since the merger of the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party in 1955. In fact, the new party at its inception was dubbed an "army of eight divisions." The ultimate aim of a faction has been, and still is, to have its leader elected party president and prime minister.