In a recent agreement reached between the ruling and opposition parties in Japan's House of Representatives, a total of 27 committee and chair positions were allocated, with the ruling coalition receiving 25 and the opposition only 2. This distribution marks a significant decline for the opposition, dropping from 12 positions prior to the dissolution of the House of Representatives. Key posts were secured by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), with mentions of their focus on critical committees like the Budget Committee and Finance Committee, especially in view of their performance in the forthcoming 2024 elections.

As part of this reshuffle, the LDP has appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto, former Minister of Agriculture, as the new Budget Committee chairman, based on his previous experience in navigating challenging political landscapes. The Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, whose party had previously claimed that the opposition held the Budget Committee chair, is now focused on ensuring the early passage of the new fiscal year's budget, which has increased scrutiny on how Sakamoto will manage the committee.

The diminished position of the opposition, alongside the allocation of committee heads such as the Consumer Affairs Committee to centrist parties, signals a continued trend of political consolidation by the ruling coalition in Japan. This shift not only impacts internal party dynamics but also highlights the ongoing challenges faced by opposition lawmakers to reclaim significant influence in legislative matters, further complicating the political landscape ahead of the next elections.