New Renaissance Party

The was a minor political party in Japan. History The NRP is the successor to the Japan Renaissance Party, founded by Hideo Watanabe and Hiroyuki Arai in August 2008. In April 2010, Yōichi Masuzoe, a former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare and member of the Liberal Democratic Party, defected from the LDP to join the Japan Renaissance Party as president. He renamed the party the "New Renaissance Party." Along with Your Party led by Yoshimi Watanabe, the NRP was viewed as a possible center-right counterweight to the LDP. However, four of its initial six Upper House members were voted out in the July 2010 election, leaving the party with only Masuzoe and Arai representing it in the Upper House. The NRP was ultimately overshadowed by Your Party as a reformist element.