Liberal Democratic Party

The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a conservative and Japanese nationalist political party in Japan. The LDP was formed in 1955 as a merger of two conservative parties: the Liberal Party and the Japan Democratic Party. Since its foundation, the LDP has been in power almost continuously—a period called the 1955 System—except between 1993 and 1994, and again from 2009 to 2012. From 1955 to 1993, the LDP oversaw Japan's recovery from World War II and the country's economic miracle. In the 2012 election, it regained control of the government. After the 2021 and 2022 elections it holds 261 seats in the House of Representatives and 119 seats in the House of Councillors, and in coalition with Komeito since 1999, a governing majority in both houses. The LDP is often described as a big tent conservative party. While lacking a cohesive political ideology, the party's platform has historically supported increased defense spending and maintaining close ties with the United States. The party's history and internal composition have been characterized by intense factionalism ever since its emergence in 1955, with its parliamentary members currently split among six factions, each of which vies for influence in the party and the government. The incumbent Prime Minister and party President is Fumio Kishida, the leader of the party's moderate Kōchikai faction. History