Who Is Competing to Become Japan’s Next Prime Minister? By Reuters

Leadership Race in Japan: Nine Candidates Compete to Succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

By Tim Kelly

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has announced nine candidates for the upcoming leadership election on September 27, aimed at finding a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Below are the main contenders based on recent public opinion polls:

Shigeru Ishiba, 67
A former defense minister, Ishiba is making his fifth attempt to lead a party that has governed Japan for most of the last 70 years. He currently leads in several opinion polls, with 28% of respondents in a recent survey favoring him as Kishida’s successor. Ishiba advocates for a transition from nuclear power to renewable energy sources like geothermal energy and supports legislation to allow female emperors, a stance that has been met with opposition from many within the LDP. His economic strategy emphasizes increasing wages to combat rising living costs and suggests potential exemptions from Japan’s 10% sales tax for lower-income citizens. While he endorses the gradual increase of interest rates by the Bank of Japan, he remains uncertain about the timing for any immediate hikes. Additionally, he has proposed establishing a disaster management agency and improving conditions for military personnel to ensure adequate troop levels for Japan’s defense. A rare Christian in a predominantly Buddhist and Shinto nation, Ishiba also enjoys building model ships and planes.

Shinjiro Koizumi, 43
The youngest candidate, Koizumi is the son of a former prime minister and represents a political legacy spanning over a century. He positions himself as a reformer capable of restoring public trust within a party facing multiple scandals. Should he be elected, he would become Japan’s youngest prime minister in 80 years. Koizumi enjoys support from younger voters and women and has pledged to call a general election that may precede the upcoming U.S. presidential vote. He aims to accelerate Kishida’s economic policies to stimulate growth and adapt to technological advancements, including artificial intelligence. A graduate of Columbia University, Koizumi has proposed deregulating Japan’s taxi industry for ride-sharing services and promised financial assistance for pensioners and low-income families. He supports legislation for women to retain their maiden names but opposes allowing them to become emperors and advocates for changes to Japan’s pacifist constitution. An avid surfer, Koizumi is married to a French-Japanese television personality, and his brother, Kotaro, is a well-known actor in Japan.

Sanae Takaichi, 63
As the LDP’s right-wing representative and the leading female candidate, Takaichi currently serves as Japan’s economic security minister and previously ran against Kishida in 2021. Known for her conservative beliefs, she advocates for revising the pacifist constitution and frequently visits the Yasukuni war shrine, which is viewed as a symbol of Japan’s militaristic past by some Asian nations. Takaichi opposes allowing women to retain their maiden names, suggesting that it undermines traditional values. She stirred controversy in 2016 by proposing that the government revoke broadcasting licenses from media companies seen as politically biased. Takaichi emphasizes economic growth to bolster Japan’s international status, committing to "strategic spending" to enhance employment and consumer sentiment.

Taro Kono, 61
Taro Kono, who previously garnered support from grassroots LDP members but lost a run-off to Kishida, is running again. Currently serving as digital minister, he aims to phase out fax machines. Unlike in previous elections where he was a frontrunner, Kono has struggled in recent opinion polls. A third-generation LDP politician educated at Georgetown University, he has held positions as both Japan’s foreign minister and defense minister. Kono believes his connections in Washington would be beneficial, regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. He proposes reforms in labor markets to enhance conditions and pay for part-time workers and to aid retraining for higher-paying jobs. During the campaign, he has notably suggested the deployment of nuclear-powered submarines in Japan’s maritime security strategies.

Other Candidates
Other contenders include Toshimitsu Motegi, 68, the LDP’s current secretary-general and a former foreign and trade minister; Yoko Kamikawa, 71, Japan’s current foreign minister; and Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, the former economic security minister and second-youngest candidate. Katsunobu Kato, 68, who previously served as health and labor minister and Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, the current Chief Cabinet Secretary and a former defense and foreign minister, round out the field of candidates.