Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi viewed cherry blossoms together at the garden of the Prime Minister’s Official Residence on March 30.

Abe told the media, “Now I have a moment to view the cherry blossoms. The LDP-Komeito coalition will continue to work hard drawing on its solid foundation.”

Yamaguchi added, “Petals don’t fall easily if the flower’s core is firm,” underscoring the strong relationship between the two parties.

The LDP-Komeito relationship cooled after Komeito decided to cooperate with Tomin First no Kai, a regional political party unofficially led by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election to be held this summer.

It is believed that the two leaders’ joint cherry-blossom viewing was staged to dispel concerns about the LDP-Komeito relationship.

Prior to the cherry-blossom viewing, Abe and Yamaguchi held talks to discuss the schedule for deliberating the bill to revise the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds, which would criminalize acts to prepare to commit terrorism.

Yamaguchi said that bills to revise the civil law and criminal law should be deliberated first. No decision was announced about whether deliberations on the anti-terrorism bill will begin on April 6.