Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

The Liberal Democratic Party (自由民主党, Jiyū-Minshutō), frequently abbreviated to LDP, the Lib Dems, or Jimintō (自民党), is a major conservative and nationalist political party in Japan. Since its foundation in 1955, the LDP has been in power almost continuously—a period called the 1955 System—except from 1993 to 1996, and again from 2009 to 2012.

The LDP was formed in 1955 as a merger of two conservative parties, the Liberal Party and the Japan Democratic Party, and was initially led by prime minister Ichirō Hatoyama. The LDP supported Japan's alliance with the United States and fostered close links between Japanese business and government, playing a major role in the country's economic miracle from the 1960s to early 1970s and subsequent stability under prime ministers including Hayato Ikeda, Eisaku Satō, Kakuei Tanaka, Takeo Fukuda, and Yasuhiro Nakasone. Scandals and economic difficulties led to the LDP losing power between 1993 and 1994, and governing under a non-LDP prime minister from 1994 to 1996. The LDP regained stability during the premiership of Junichiro Koizumi in the 2000s before achieving its worst-ever electoral result in the 2009 election. The party regained control of the government in a landslide victory at the 2012 election under Shinzo Abe. After the 2024 and 2022 elections the LDP currently holds 191 seats in the House of Representatives and 119 seats in the House of Councillors; the party has governed in coalition with Komeito since 1999. Since the 2017 general election, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) has been its primary opponent in national politics.

The LDP is often described as a big tent conservative party, including factions that range from moderate conservatism to right-wing nationalism. Although lacking a cohesive political ideology, the party's platform has historically supported increased defense spending and, since the 21st century, maintaining close relations with its Indo-Pacific allies to counter the rise of China as a superpower. The party's history and internal composition has been characterized by intense factionalism among its members since its emergence in 1955. Shigeru Ishiba, Japan's incumbent prime minister, has served as party president since 27 September 2024.