New reformed-oriented centrist party to be called Centrist Reform Alliance

January 17 , 2026

Saito and President Noda unveiled the new party’s formal name as the Centrist Reform Alliance on Jan. 16Saito (right) and President Noda unveiled the new party’s formal name as the Centrist Reform Alliance on Jan. 16

On January 16, Komeito Chief Representative Tetsuo Saito and President Yoshihiko Noda of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), held a joint press conference to announce the name of the new parliamentary party the two political parties agreed to form yesterday. The new party will be named the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) as it actively seeks to enlist politically moderate independents and legislators of other parties, including the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in the House of Representatives.

Specifics of the CRA’s policy platform are slated for release on January 19. However, Saito said the platform would prioritize the needs of Japan’s largest demographic segment—comprised largely by middle-class individuals and their families—as well as initiatives to enhance the nation’s peace and security. He went on to say one of the key areas to be addressed was alleviating the cost burden of the consumption tax and social services on the working-age generation. He also reiterated Komeito’s position on the value of dialogue in facilitating multilateral goodwill and cooperation in a world in which democratic societies are beseiged by extremist forces.