Editing Politics of Japan (section)

== Political developments since 1990 ==
The LDP domination lasted until the National Diet [[1993 Japanese general election|Lower House general election on 18 July 1993]], in which LDP failed to win a [[Majority government|majority]]. A [[Coalition government|coalition]] of new parties and existing opposition parties formed a governing majority and elected a new non-LDP prime minister, [[Morihiro Hosokawa]] (leader of [[Japan New Party]]), in August 1993. His government's major legislative objective was political reform, consisting of a package of new political financing restrictions and major changes in the [[electoral system]]. The coalition succeeded in passing landmark political reform legislation in January 1994.

In April 1994, Prime Minister Hosokawa resigned. Prime Minister [[Tsutomu Hata]] (leader of [[Japan Renewal Party]]) formed the successor coalition government, Japan's first minority government in almost 40 years. Prime Minister Hata resigned less than two months later. Prime Minister [[Tomiichi Murayama]] (leader of JSP) formed the next government in June 1994 with the coalition of JSP, the LDP, and the small [[New Party Sakigake]]. The advent of a coalition containing the JSP and LDP shocked many observers because of their previously fierce rivalry.

Prime Minister Murayama served from June 1994 to January 1996. He was succeeded by Prime Minister [[Ryutaro Hashimoto]] (president of the LDP), who served from January 1996 to July 1998. Prime Minister Hashimoto headed a loose coalition of three parties until the [[1998 Japanese House of Councillors election|July 1998 Upper House election]], when the two smaller parties cut ties with the LDP. Hashimoto resigned due to a poor electoral performance by the LDP in the Upper House elections. He was succeeded as party president of the LDP and prime minister by [[Keizō Obuchi]], who took office on 30 July 1998. The LDP formed a governing coalition with the [[Liberal Party of Japan (1998)|Liberal Party]] in January 1999, and Obuchi remained prime minister. The LDP-Liberal coalition expanded to include the New Komeito Party in October 1999.