He is eyeing a rising smaller, conservative opposition, the Democratic Party for the People, whose seats quadrupled to 28 under its popular leader Yuichiro Tamaki, whose proposal for raising the basic tax-free income allowance and increasing take-home wages garnered support from low income and younger voters.

Tamaki only wants to cooperate with Ishiba’s party on policy - not as part of a coalition - since he wants to use his leverage to increase his party’s standing ahead of the next election.