The , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a major conservative political party in Japan. It is one of the most consistently successful political parties in the world, having continuously been in power since its foundation in 1955, with the exception of a brief 11-month period between 1993 and 1994, and from 2009 to 2012. In the 2012 election it regained control of government. It holds 295 seats in the lower house and 115 seats in the upper house. Just like current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe many present and former LDP ministers are also members of the openly revisionist organization Nippon Kaigi.