Levi McLaughlin

Religion and Politics in Japan Today: New Perspectives from Grassroots-Level Activists

On Tuesday, I'll be speaking at the University of Toronto on religion and politics in contemporary Japan. Plenty of fresh insights drawn from the past two months I've spent with activists within Soka Gakkai, Nippon Kaigi, and the Unification Church:

munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/religi...

Appreciate that, James. Thank you!

On March 6th, I'll be speaking at Harvard about recent upheavals in Japan and why we must attend to religion to fully comprehend realignments now taking shape within Japanese politics. Thanks to Paula Kolata for making this event happen:

rijs.fas.harvard.edu/events/relig...

Safe to say that the Gakkai members I know are largely happy to campaign against the LDP.

For what it's worth, Soka Gakkai friends in Japan (where I am now meeting with folks) were mostly surprised by news of this new negotiation. It will be interesting to see the extent to which they're willing to dedicate energy to this electoral campaign. I'm hearing decidedly mixed responses.

Religion and Politics in Japan Today: New Perspectives from Grassroots-Level Activists

On 2/24 I'll be at the University of Toronto to speak how religion-affiliated activists are influencing recent changes in Japanese politics. Sincere thanks to Phillip Lipscy for making this happen:

munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/religi...

Commentary | Levi McLaughlin, Sanae Takaichi and Japan’s Uncertain Politics/Religion Future — Critical Asian Studies Local-Level Religious Activists Recently Upended Japan’s Political Order Japan ranks among the least religious countries in the world—according to recent survey data, as many as 80% or 90% of respon...

Commentary | Levi McLaughlin raises questions about Japan's uncertain politics/religion future as new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's support for Shinto-linked nationalists alienates erstwhile Liberal Democratic Party allies in the Sokka Gakkai-backed Kōmeitō criticalasianstudies.org/commentary/2...

Hopefully useful as a lively-enough read for nonspecialists and a piece one could assign students.

This short piece lays out a general overview of religion in Japan today and its political intersections. It explains why we need to attend to religion to understand the rise of Takaichi Sanae, recent Japan-China conflicts, and the recent end of Japan's longstanding coalition government.

Commentary | Levi McLaughlin, Sanae Takaichi and Japan’s Uncertain Politics/Religion Future — Critical Asian Studies Local-Level Religious Activists Recently Upended Japan’s Political Order Japan ranks among the least religious countries in the world—according to recent survey data, as many as 80% or 90% of respon...

I've put a few thoughts together on religious dimensions of recent political upheavals in Japan. These are now up on Critical Asian Studies.

criticalasianstudies.org/commentary/2...

Japan Decides 2024 This book provides a coherent overall explanation for understanding in the election in both historical and comparative perspective

🎉 Just published! JAPAN DECIDES 2024! The most comprehensive analysis and interpretation of last year's general election in Japan––which saw the ruling LDP lose its seat majority and presaged further upheaval in 2025. E-book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

A Costly Coalition: Kōmeitō’s Enduring Partnership with the LDP This chapter provides an overview of Kōmeitō’s electoral performance since 2021, focusing on reasons for the party’s poor 2024 general election results. Our analysis shows that K...

Interested readers can see abstracts for my chapters here:

link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

Honestly odd to see how these analyses anticipated some of the chaos that has unfolded in recent weeks...

The book is otherwise packed with useful contributions from top folks in the field, based in North America, Japan, and Europe. Thanks always to Robert Pekkanen, Dan Smith, and Kenneth McElwain for their excellent job editing.

Is this stuff already out of date? You bet! Is it useful background material for understanding Japanese politics right now? Also yes!

We've done that here. And I have supplied an update on responses to the Unification Church following the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō into the October 2024 Lower House election up to the court decisions to proceed with removing the religion's status as a juridical person.

I've contributed to the last few Japan Decides volumes, and I have some contributions in this one as well. My stalwart colleague Axel Klein (prof at Duisburg-Essen in Germany) and I regularly write up the latest we can find on Komeito.

Komeito is out and a new conservative coalition partner, Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), is in government. Reasons for this upheaval stem from the October 2024 results.

In October 2024, Japan faced a particularly consequential election, one that saw the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner Komeito shunted into a minority government.

Today, we have a new regime in place led by an LDP headed by the conservative firebrand PM Takaichi Sanae.

Japan Decides 2024 This book provides a coherent overall explanation for understanding in the election in both historical and comparative perspective

When there's a Japan's House of Representatives race (Lower House), where the Prime Minister sits, a team of political scientists puts together a volume in the Japan Decides series (published by Springer) to cover the election's lead-up and results (thread)

link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

For what it's worth, going by my correspondence in recent days with Gakkai member friends, Komeito calling on its supporters to vote for CDP candidates is likely to be greeted with Soka Gakkai adherent approval. Some members wondered why Komeito didn't link up with CDP before splitting with the LDP

Or does it? Lots to discover as these new alliances unfold.

It's a cost these candidates will probably have to pay: even diminishing Gakkai-member vote-gathering power likely beats out the ground game of any other political party in Japan. And this probably includes Ishin and Sanseitō.

In Tokyo, this means LDP Diet members are likely going to continue to curry favor with Komeito to gain Gakkai support. This gives Komeito, and specifically the Women's Division of Soka Gakkai, a lot of clout when it comes to vetting LDP candidates.

In other words, Japan's most powerful political institution might become the party of local Japan. That is, unless LDP Diet members figure out how to up their vote numbers.

Losing Gakkai voters could well mean that the LDP loses ALL its seats in Tokyo. And pairing up with Ishin means sacrificing LDP seats in and around Osaka.

公明連立離脱で「2万票なくなる」　選挙への影響に頭抱える自民幹部：朝日新聞 公明党が自公連立政権から離脱した。千葉県内でも自公は原則として選挙協力をしてきており、影響は必至だ。　連立離脱が明らかになった10日、公明党県本部の平木大作代表はX（旧ツイッター）で「自民党の不祥事…

The Asahi is breaking down costs of losing Soka Gakkai voters:

www.asahi.com/articles/AST...

The TV station TBS and other outlets have calculated that, without Komeito supporter (read Soka Gakkai) efforts, the LDP would have won 52 fewer seats in the October 2024 election, putting it behind the Constitutional Democratic Party. This doesn't account for other opposition party wins.

But losing the Gakkai vote -- while perhaps still relying on it -- might be THE story for how the new, strongly nationalist LDP-Ishin coalition shapes up.

Because religion remains a strong taboo in Japan's public discourse, it's not a surprise to me that consequences of making light of Soka Gakkai vote-gathering have been largely pushed off the front page.

There does seem to be a requirement that you could credibly audition for a boy band if you head up Ishin no Kai.

www.asahi.com/articles/AST...