Shigeru Fuku (1969-) was a Japanese LDP politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 3 April 2023 to 29 November 2027, preceding Aya Yamamoto. Fuku's premiership began amid an era of prosperity, but the LDP's combination of tax cuts and adoption of new social programs caused a budget deficit that soon evolved into a dangerous recession. This prolonged economic crisis eroded the LDP's popularity and caused the LDP's Buddhist ally, Komeito, to nearly eclipse the LDP in both vote share and seats in the House of Representatives. In 2026, Fuku was dealt a stinging defeat when the CDP overtook the LDP as the largest party in the House of Representatives, but Fuku's coalition-building abilities kept his sinking ship afloat. In 2027, a steep economic decline and backlash against Fuku's weakening of the constitution resulted in an electoral disaster for the LDP, with the Conservative Party of Japan usurping its role as the primary conservative party in Japan.
Biography[]
Shigeru Fuku was born in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan in 1969. He became a successful agribusiness industrialist, through which he managed an LDP koenkai (support group) before entering politics himself. Because of his relative youth and his pro-business mindset, he rose to the party's leadership by 2023, when a new round of elections was called. Fuku led his party to win 30.78% of the vote and 13/40 seats, followed by Nippon Ishin no Kai's 16.99% and 7/40 seats, the CDP's 15.71% and 7/40 seats, Komeito's 13.22% and 5/40 seats, Reiwa Shinsengumi's 9.98% and 4/40 seats, the JCP and 9.69% and 4/40 seats, and the Democratic Party for the People's 3.63% (which failed to pass the 7% electoral threshold). Fuku won the support of 23 MPs to Yutaka Hayashida of NIK's 16, with Komeito supporting his government alongside half of the JCP and CDP's MPs, who went against their parties.
Tenure[]
Fuku inherited a country with a budget of ¥165 million and a weekly increase of ¥5 million. The House of Representatives voted 28-7 to create a bus transport service, 26-7 to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, 36-2 to fund retirement homes, 39-0 to thermally insulate buildings, 33-1 to increase the number of seats in the House from 40 to 70, 18-14 to abolish the income tax, 25-7 to implement national military service, and 34-3 to enact a robbery penalty. Meanwhile, LDP lawmaker Seiya Kurokawa was implicated in a corruption scandal of the CDP's making, and LDP lawmaker Yuki Tsukamoto died in office.
On 20 November 2023, the government held snap elections to take advantage of the repeal of the income tax, believing that it would provide them with a major boost. However, the LDP actually experienced a slight drop in support. The LDP fell to 30.23% (-.55%) and 22/70 seats, followed by the CDP with 18.97% (+3.26%) and 14/70 seats, Komeito with 14.67% (+1.45%) and 10/70 seats, NIK with 12.29% (-4.7%) and 9/70 seats, Shinsengumi with 11.24% (+1.26%) and 8/70 seats, the JCP with 9.33% (-.36%) and 7/70 seats, and the DPP with 3.27% (-.36%) and no seats. While the LDP neither experienced a boost in support for its tax repeal nor a massive decline due to its militarism, the Kurokawa scandal, or an economic downturn, the opposition factions experienced a major power reshuffle. Nippon Ishin no Kai, once billed as the main opposition to the LDP, fell into an ignominious fourth place as the CDP experienced a groundswell of support; analysts figured that the CDP's major policy differences from the LDP differentiated it from the conservative NIK, which functioned more as a "loyal opposition." Komeito also won increased support from disaffected LDP voters, while the Shinsengumi benefited from Communist defectors. A week after the election, the CDP was the only party to vote to abolish the monarchy in a vote that failed 14-50. In the ensuing race to choose a prime minister, the CDP counted on Shinsengumi support, but fell short by 23 votes to Fuku's 45.
Fuku's second term saw Japan start with a budget of ¥99 million and a weekly decline of ¥3 million. The House voted 47-9 for a pollution tax, 51-12 for a national lottery, 41-15 to keep public buses, 44-11 for a carbon tax, 46-12 to keep primary education, and 46-10 to keep retirement homes. The economy stabilized at ¥6 million, but the LDP's popularity sank as the CDP mounted a media offensive.
On 22 July 2024, new elections were held. The LDP fell to 25.4% (-4.83%) and 18/70 seats (-4 seats), the CDP rose to 21.41% (+2.44%) and 15/70 seats (+1 seat), the JCP rose to 12.79% (+3.46%) and 9/70 seats (+2 seats), Komeito fell to 12.22% (-2.45%) and 8/70 seats (-2 seats), NIK fell to 10.97% (-1.32%) and 8/70 seats (-1 seat), Shinsengumi fell to 9.99% (-1.25%) and 7/70 seats (-1 seat), and the DPFP finally broke through with 7.22% (+3.95%) and 5/70 seats (+5 seats). The election was a clear defeat for Fuku and his party, which was in danger of losing its plurality in the House of Representatives, as well as the premiership if the CDP could unite the opposition. A week later, the House voted 34-22 to approve a copyright law, and the week after saw the House vote 38-28 to keep Fuku as prime minister.
Fuku's third term saw the House vote 48-10 to extend election frequency to 70 weeks, 33-26 to create a coffee tax, 49-16 against abolishing military service, 45-21 to fund the Olympics, 41-21 for mandatory vaccinations, and 52-4 for an alcohol tax, but the economy remained in a steep depression. On 24 March 2025, new elections were held in which the LDP fell to 22.61% (-2.79%) and 16/70 seats (-2 seats), the CDP rose to 22.11% (+.7%) and 15/70 seats, the JCP rose to 13.66% (+.87%) and 10/70 seats (+1 seat), the NIK rose to 11.76% (+.79%) and 8/70 seats, Shinsengumi rose to 10.91% (+.92%) and 8/70 seats (+1 seat), Komeito fell to 10.49% (-1.73%) and 7/70 seats (-1 seat), and the DPFP rose to 8.46% (+1.24%) and 6/70 seats (+1 seat). While voters once again punished the LDP for its poor economic record, Fuku won the support of 43 MPs (the Communists, DPFP, Komeito, and NIK) to Aya Yamamoto's 24 (Shinsengumi and the CDP) and continued his fragile premiership.
Fuku's fourth term saw the House vote 43-17 against a universal basic income, 44-12 for a junk food tax, 33-24 for a school bus tax, endure four weeks of protests by the CDP and LDP lawmaker Ami Murakami's corruption scandal, 48-7 for food control, 46-10 to legalize gambling, 31-16 against bank secrecy, 38-20 for a driving license program, 59-1 to keep retirement homes, 37-15 to create an organ donation program, 54-7 for a child benefit, 57-2 for a public smoking ban, 65-2 for an ambulance service, and 34-28 to make Japan a tax haven (the law failing to meet the constitutional threshold). At the same time, JCP lawmaker Tatsuya Tanaka and DPFP lawmaker Katsumasa Saeki were implicated in corruption scandals. By 2 March 2026, fundraising records showed the CDP in the lead with ¥158 million raised, followed by the LDP with ¥136 million, Komeito with ¥132 million, the JCP with ¥120 million, Shinsengumi with ¥78 million, NIK with ¥68 million, and the DPP with ¥47 million. Afterwards, the House of Representatives voted 49-18 to make the Prime Minister a directly-elected politician, 36-27 to abolish the coffee tax, and 37-13 to abolish the election threshold.
On 27 July 2026, new elections were held to the House of Representatives. The CDP rose to 22.41% (+.3%) and 16/70 seats (+1 seat), followed by the LDP with 18.26% (-4.35%) and 13/70 seats (-3 seats), Komeito with 17.95% (+7.46%) and 13/70 seats (+6 seats), the JCP with 14.99% (+1.33%) and 10/70 seats, Shinsengumi with 10.27% (-.64%) and 7/70 seats (-1 seat), NIK with 9.01% (-2.75%) and 6/70 seats (-2 seats), the DPFP with 5.07% (-3.39%) and 4/70 seats (-2 seats), and the Conservative Party of Japan with 1.33% and 1/70 seats (+1 seat). The 2026 elections saw the LDP's support continue to cave in, while the CDP notably won a plurality of the vote. The biggest winner of the election, however, was the Soka Gakkai-affiliated Komeito, which surged in support as a centrist alternative to the corrupt LDP and a party attracting voters disillusioned with hyper-partisanship. Nippon Ishin no Kai continued its decline as young conservatives either flocked to Komeito or the alt-right Conservative Party, while the DPFP experienced a major reversal as voters dissatisfied with its corruption went over to the CDP or other parties of the center. Only the CDP's use of attack ads against Komeito prevented Komeito from fulfilling earlier predictions that they would overtake the LDP as Japan's main conservative party.
The ensuing premiership election saw Fuku defeat Yamamoto by a margin of 54.2% to 45.8%, as Fuku's personal popularity trumped his party's rapidly declining fortunes. The House went on to vote 41-18 to keep mandatory military service, 48-14 to reduce the number of seats in the House from 70 to 40, 38-22 against protest prohibition amid CDP-led protests against worsening economic conditions, 65-1 for a custom duty, 57-4 for a dog license, 49-11 for a bank tax, 27-24 to abolish copyright law, 39-20 for a consumption tax, 43-15 to make the premiership a directly-elected position, 40-22 to lower the constitutional amendment threshold to 50%, 40-13 to legalize prostitution, and 36-24 to legalize capital punishment.
On 15 November 2027, new elections were held amid a communist strike. The CDP placed in first with 26.19% (+3.78%) and 10/40 seats, followed by Komeito with 15.77% (-2.18%) and 6/40 seats, the Conservative Party with 13.16% (+11.83%) and 5/40 seats, the LDP with 11.36% (-6.9%) and 5/40 seats, Shinsengumi with 9.84% (-.43%) and 4/40 seats, the JCP with 9.59% (-5.4%) and 4/40 seats, NIK with 6.83% (-2.18%) and 3/40 seats, and the DPFP with 6.55% (+1.48%) and 3/40 seats. The election was a catastrophic defeat for the LDP and JCP and a triumph for both the CDP and the Conservative Party, marking the beginning of a new era in Japanese politics. The LDP's poor economic record caused its voters to defect en masse to the alt-right Conservative Party, while its weakening of the constitution created a backlash that helped the CDP gain support. Komeito won a distant second place, although its electoral performance had weakened since 2026; it continued to be a party of disaffected voters and Soka Gakkai members alike, and waning trust in the Japanese political system played just as much of a role in Komeito's performance as it did for the rise of the Conservatives, who charged into third place. The Conservatives' good performance not only devastated the LDP (knocked into a humiliating fourth place), but also sapped support from the Communist Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai, with the Communist Party - once seen as a potential participant in a three-party system with the LDP and CDP - experiencing a major setback. Voter fatigue with revolutionary politics and crony capitalism alike helped bring both an anti-corruption liberal party and a far-right nationalist party to the fore, while keeping Komeito a political kingmaker.
In the ensuing election to the premiership, the CDP's Aya Yamamoto won with 16%, with Fuku and DPFP candidate Toyofumi Fujita tying for second, each with 14.7%. Yamamoto thus became the first CDP prime minister and the first opposition head of government since 2012.