At age 43, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is the youngest of the nine candidates and one of the three front-runners in the Liberal Democratic Party’s Sept. 27 presidential election.

His polished speaking style in front of the television cameras, his sharp criticism of fellow LDP members caught up in a slush funds scandal and his calls for regulatory reform that spares no sacred cows is reminiscent of his father, former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

“Both men are theatrical and good at appealing to the public. In that sense, Shinjiro is on par with his father, which is why I’m calling the LDP presidential election the second act of the Koizumi theater,” veteran political columnist Kenji Goto said Wednesday.