Japan's centrist reform alliance dissolves

The Alliance centriste pour la réforme, a political coalition formed eight months ago by members of the Constitutional Democratic Party (PDC) and Kōmeitō, has officially dissolved. Following poor election results where the group's seat count dropped from 167 to 49, leader Junya Ogawa announced a separation. Kōmeitō members will return to their original party, while PDC members are considering forming a new entity. This fragmentation is expected to benefit Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the ruling coalition by weakening the opposition's ability to present a unified alternative.

In separate news, Japan's National Police Agency has established an expert committee to integrate the security sector into a new training and skill development program for foreign workers. Scheduled to take effect in April 2027, this initiative will replace the current technical internship program and may include security training as part of residence provisions for skilled foreign workers.