TOKYO (AP) — The head of Japan's Komeito says it is leaving the ruling coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party due to concerns over corruption, in a major setback for the woman who hopes to become the country's next prime minister.
The decision announced Friday by Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito deals a serious blow to the Liberal Democrats, who last weekend chose Sanae Takaichi, an ultra-conservative lawmaker, as its leader.
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Sanae Takaichi, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), leaves the LDP headquarters in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Keisuke Hosojima/Kyodo News via AP)
Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, speaks to the media after meeting with Sanae Takaichi, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party at the parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)
Sanae Takaichi, right, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, pose for photo before their talk at the parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)
FILE - Sanae Takaichi, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), gestures as she leaves the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election in Tokyo Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (Yuichi Yamazaki/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, speaks to media after meeting newly-elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi, on Oct. 4, 2025, in Tokyo. (Kyodo News via AP)
Takaichi could still become Japan's first female prime minister, but the departure of the Buddhist-backed Komeito will compel the Liberal Democrats to find at least one other coalition partner in order to stay in power.
Speaking to reporters, she said Saito had “one-sidedly announced the decision to leave the coalition” even though she and her deputy, LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki, had said the Liberal Democrats would discuss the issues he raised and respond promptly.
“We’ve been together for 26 years and it was extremely disappointing, but this is how we ended up,” Takaichi said.
The ruling coalition had already lost its majorities in both houses of parliament. The lower house is due to vote on a new prime minister later this month.
Saito said his party, which has been a coalition partner with the Liberal Democrats for 26 years, had raised several concerns in a meeting with its leaders.
They include objections to Takaichi's stance about Japan's wartime history and her visits to Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of its past militarism. Another was Takaichi's hardline position toward foreigners, part of a backlash against growing numbers of foreign workers and tourists.
But the deciding factor, he said, was the Liberal Democrats' response to scandals over the use of political slush funds.
Saito said he found Takaichi's response to his concerns over history, the Yasukuni visits and foreigners to be acceptable. But he said she showed a lack of “sincerity” about doing more to clean up corruption.
“The LDP’s response was that it will think about it, which was highly insufficient and extremely disappointing,” Saito said.
“We have decided to return to the drawing board and stop here,” Saito said. “Our endeavor against money politics is the highest priority for the Komeito.”
Komeito was founded in 1964 by the leader of the Buddhist sect Soka Gakkai, Daisaku Ikeda, to represent diverse public interests and fight corruption, as an alternative to political parties backed by labor unions and big corporations.
The LDP has been beset by scandals involving dozens of lawmakers, many of them belonging to a party faction previously led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe's vision for Japan is one that Takaichi has emulated.
The Liberal Democrats have removed some senior lawmakers from top party and Cabinet posts. Takaichi has said that if she is chosen to be prime minister, she plans to put them back into key positions after they were re-elected twice more after their ousters.
Saito told reporters Komeito lawmakers would not vote for Takaichi to become prime minister and the party won't perform its usual role of trying to drum up support for LDP politicians, who have long relied on votes from Soka Gakkai members, the Komeito's main source of support.
In the vote to replace departing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, expected around Oct. 20, he said, “I will vote for Tetsuo Saito.”
Sanae Takaichi, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), leaves the LDP headquarters in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Keisuke Hosojima/Kyodo News via AP)
Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, speaks to the media after meeting with Sanae Takaichi, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party at the parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)
Sanae Takaichi, right, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, pose for photo before their talk at the parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)
FILE - Sanae Takaichi, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), gestures as she leaves the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election in Tokyo Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (Yuichi Yamazaki/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, speaks to media after meeting newly-elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi, on Oct. 4, 2025, in Tokyo. (Kyodo News via AP)
Houston has already won a game to stave off elimination. And now, Phoenix and Denver will look to do the same.
Otherwise, the first round might soon be winding down.
So far, only two conference quarterfinal series — New York vs. Atlanta and Cleveland vs. Toronto — have a Game 6 that's guaranteed. The other six remaining opening-round matchups still could end in either four or five games.
It's possible that six first-round series are completed by Wednesday. Some might even end on Monday, when the schedule features three games: Orlando will seek a 3-1 lead at home against Detroit, Phoenix will look to avoid a sweep against Oklahoma City, and Denver looks to stave off elimination against short-handed Minnesota.
If Phoenix beats Oklahoma City, there will be no sweeps in Round 1 — something that hasn't happened since the 2003 playoffs.
— Raptors 93, Cavaliers 89 to tie series at 2-2.
— Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 93 for 3-1 series lead. Wemby has concerns.
— Celtics 128, 76ers 96 for 3-1 series lead. Embiid returned, to no avail.
— Rockets 115, Lakers 96 to get within 3-1 in series. Might Durant play?
— Edwards out, DiVincenzo has surgery
— An interesting year for Tiago Splitter
— There's a standard in Oklahoma City
— Taylor Jenkins set to return to Milwaukee
— AJ Dybantsa formally enters NBA draft
— Donovan steps down as Chicago's coach
— Warriors brace for possible Kerr departure
— Some news, notes going into the postseason
— Heat equipment manager needs transplants
Awards season is in full swing in the NBA and will resume Monday with the Rookie of the Year announcement (7 p.m. EDT, Peacock/NBCSN).
The rookie finalists: VJ Edgecombe of Philadelphia, Cooper Flagg of Dallas and Kon Knueppel of Charlotte.
Other awards being announced this week are Basketball Executive of the Year on Tuesday, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year on Wednesday and the Hustle Award on Thursday. They'll all be announced at 1 p.m. EDT on one of the NBA's social media channels.
A breakdown on awards handed out to this point:
— San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama became the youngest Defensive Player of the Year, and the first to win the award in a unanimous vote.
— Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nearly became the first unanimous winner of the Clutch Player of the Year award. He got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes.
— San Antonio's Keldon Johnson topped Miami's Jaime Jaquez Jr. for Sixth Man of the Year, getting 63 first-place votes.
— Boston's Derrick White was revealed as the Sportsmanship Award winner, as selected by the league's players. Indiana's TJ McConnell — who got more first-place votes than anyone else — was second.
— Atlanta now has back-to-back Most Improved Player winners, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker taking that trophy this year. Dyson Daniels won for the Hawks last year.
Among the announcements still to be scheduled:
— Most Valuable Player, which will be either Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama or Denver's Nikola Jokic.
— Coach of the Year, which will be either Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio's Mitch Johnson or Boston's Joe Mazzulla.
8 p.m. EDT — Game 4, Detroit at Orlando (NBC/Peacock)
9:30 p.m. EDT — Game 4, Oklahoma City at Phoenix (Peacock/NBCSN)
10:30 p.m. EDT — Game 4, Minnesota at Denver (NBC/Peacock)
7 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Philadelphia at Boston (ESPN)
8 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Atlanta at New York (NBC/Peacock)
9:30 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Portland at San Antonio (ESPN)
7 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Orlando at Detroit (Prime)
7:30 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Toronto at Cleveland (ESPN)
9:30 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Phoenix at Oklahoma City (Prime), if necessary
10 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Houston at LA Lakers (ESPN)
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (-120) are favorites to win the NBA title, according to oddsmakers.
The Thunder are followed by San Antonio (+400), Boston (+550), Cleveland (+1600), New York (+2500) and the Los Angeles Lakers (+2500).
Denver is +3000, followed by Detroit (+3500). Minnesota, even with a 3-1 series lead entering Monday, is at +20000 after the injuries to Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards.
— May 2, 3 or 4: Conference semifinals begin.
— May 10: NBA draft lottery.
— May 10-17: NBA draft combine.
— May 17 or 19: Eastern Conference finals begin on ESPN and ABC.
— May 18 or 20: Western Conference finals begin on NBC and Peacock.
— June 3: Game 1, NBA Finals on ABC. (Other finals dates: June 5, June 8, June 10, June 13, June 16 and June 19).
— June 23: Round 1, NBA draft
— June 24: Round 2, NBA draft
“We need to find the answers before having our back against the wall. But that also shows the strength of our team. In adversity, we stick together. We get closer to each other. We feed off of each other's energy." — San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, after the Spurs rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit before blowing out Portland for a 3-1 series lead. It was San Antonio's league-best ninth win after trailing by 15 or more in a game this season.
— Boston has beaten Philadelphia by 32 points on two separate occasions so far in their Eastern Conference first-round series. The last time the Celtics had two wins by 32 or more points in the same series was 1965 — in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
— LeBron James' teams are now 12-3 in Game 4s with a chance to sweep a series. His teams had been 9-0 in such games since 2013, before Sunday night's loss in Houston.
— Toronto scored 93 points in its Game 4 win. Teams scoring 93 or less are now 3-94 this season — but teams allowing 89 or less (as the Raptors did against Cleveland on Sunday) are 46-0.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) scores against Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale during the second half of Game 3 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama reacts after a shot during the first half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Portland Trail Blazers, in Portland, Ore., Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards kneels on the court after sustaining an injury during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle dunks during the second half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) sits on the court after sustaining an injury during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum, left, goes up for a shot past Philadelphia 76ers' Adem Bona during the second half of Game 3 in a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Friday, April 24, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, center, wears street cloths on the bench as he sits out Game 3 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, talks to guard Bronny James during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Houston Rockets, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff cheers on the Detroit Piston during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Orlando Magic Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) passes over Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) drives to the basket past Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, left, during the second half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) blocks a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) sits on the court after a hard fall during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Portland Trail Blazers in San Antonio, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) gestures to the crowd in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Toronto Raptors in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Toronto Raptors guard Ja'kobe Walter (14) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reach for the ball in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives past Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) during the second half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, talks to his son guard Bronny James during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Houston Rockets, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) and forward Tristan da Silva (23) celebrate after a win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry celebrates after scoring during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) lies on the court during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer watches in the closing minutes of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game between the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks to make a pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
