New party gets off to rocky start with ‘zero’ support

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, September 26, 2026

The newly established Democratic Reform Party (DRP), formed by lawmakers who split from the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), held its first meeting and announced its leadership ahead of the October parliamentary session. Despite its strategic alliance with the remaining CRA member to form an opposition bloc, the DRP faces zero percent public support and criticism over its decision to keep the CRA active to secure significant government subsidies.

The newly formed Democratic Reform Party (DRP) convened for its inaugural meeting on Thursday, unveiling its leadership team ahead of the upcoming parliamentary session scheduled to begin on October 5. The party was established last week by a group of lawmakers who split from the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA).

DRP leader Junya Ogawa, who previously headed the CRA, emphasized the group’s intention to start with a practical approach despite its small size of 18 members. "Although we’re only a small elite group, we earnestly ask for everyone’s participation in various forms but united in spirit," Ogawa said.

However, the party faces significant challenges in gaining traction with the electorate. Recent media polls conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun and Nikkei indicated that the DRP’s support rating stands at zero percent. Critics have also questioned the party’s decision not to dissolve the CRA, accusing its members of seeking to maintain access to substantial government subsidies.

The DRP is made up entirely of lawmakers originally affiliated with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) who joined the CRA when it was formed in January as a coalition between the CDP and Komeito. When establishing the DRP, Ogawa and his colleagues opted not to formally dissolve the CRA but instead allowed it to continue with a single member. This strategy makes the CRA eligible to receive about ¥1.1 billion (approximately $6.9 million) in political party subsidies from the national government.

Ogawa defended this move, explaining that it was necessary to settle unpaid expenses incurred by the CRA during the February general election. Nonetheless, political analyst Masato Kamikubo of Ritsumeikan University expressed skepticism about this justification. Kamikubo attributed the DRP’s low popularity to three main factors: the broader erosion of public trust in opposition parties, unclear rationale for the split from the CRA given the groups’ continued cooperation, and voter frustration over the decision to maintain the CRA for subsidy purposes despite the legal permissibility of the move.

Japan’s political party subsidy system allocates funds to established parties to support election campaigns and organizational functions. Eligibility requires either five or more parliamentary members or a minimum vote share in recent Lower or Upper House elections. Subsidies are disbursed in four installments annually, allowing legal entities to continue receiving funds even if most members depart, provided the party remains officially recognized.

In addition to Ogawa’s role as head of the DRP, the party’s leadership includes Takeshi Shina as secretary-general, Yuichi Goto as parliamentary affairs chief, and Takayuki Ochiai as head of the policy research council.

As parliament convenes, the DRP plans to collaborate with the sole remaining CRA member, So Watanabe, as well as former CRA members who have rejoined Komeito. Together, they will form a unified opposition bloc in the parliament, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds a clear majority in the Lower House but lacks a majority in the Upper House when including its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai).

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.