Japan will have a new leader after outgoing Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s governing Liberal Democratic Party holds a vote on September 27 to choose his replacement. They hope to shake off scandals that have dogged his government and regain public support.
A record nine candidates, including two women, seek the top job. Here are the main contenders:
Koizumi Shinjiro, 43
The son of popular former premier Koizumi Junichiro has been considered a potential prime minister candidate since he was elected to parliament in 2009. Despite his lack of experience, his background as a political blue blood, age, and popularity are his strengths. If elected, he would be Japan’s youngest-ever prime minister.
Koizumi has vowed to change an “old-fashioned LDP” and accelerate reforms to revitalize Japan, including by making the job market more flexible. He said he will hold a snap election soon after taking office to seek the public’s mandate.
Koizumi supports a revision to a 19th century civil code requiring married couples to choose one of their surnames, which has caused most women to adopt their husbands’ surname. He wants to allow an option of keeping separate surnames that’s supported by the country’s powerful business lobby .
He has said he will further strengthen the Japan-US alliance and expand a cooperation network with other like-minded nations to deter China’s growing influence. He wants to meet with his Chinese and South Korean constituents soon after taking office, and hold talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Koizumi Junichiro and Kim Jong Il held talks in 2002 on the issue of abducted Japanese citizens.
Koizumi Shinjiro regularly visits Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine, seen by Asian neighbors as a symbol of Japan’s wartime militarism.
As environment minister in 2019, Koizumi made his international debut at a United Nations summit, saying “a big-scale issue like climate change got to be fun, it’s got to be cool, and it’s got to be sexy, too.” His choice of language was criticized as shallow.
Koizumi holds a master’s degree in political science from Columbia University.
Ishiba Shigeru, 67
Ishiba is running in the leadership race for a fifth time. Political analysts put him and Koizumi as the top two contenders.
Despite his popularity among general voters, Ishiba has struggled to win enough support from fellow party legislators. The same iconoclastic and pragmatic approach that endsears him to the public makes it an uphill battle for him to win over LDP Diet members.
In an interview last year with The DiplomatIshiba explained the disconnect between his popularity among the general public and within his own party: “The people and the Diet have a different awareness of things… Until I change my views and claim to support policies that I think are mistaken, there’s no chance I’ll become the prime minister.”
He has said this will be his “final battle.”
Ishiba has served as defense minister and in other key posts and is a security and defense expert. He has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance. Ishiba is a supporter of Taiwan’s democracy.
Ishiba vows to push for gender equality and measures to address low births and Japan’s declining population.
Takaichi Sanae, 63
As economic security minister, Takaichi is making a second bid to become Japan’s first female leader. A protégé of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, she is a staunch conservative and attracts the right wing. In the 2021 party leadership vote, she finished third.
Takaichi has vowed to fortify Japan’s resilience to natural disasters and security risks by bolstering food security, supply chains and military capability.
A regular visitor to Yasukuni, Takaichi is known as a revisionist of Japan’s wartime atrocities, and has called for a tougher stance on China.
Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession, and opposes same-sex marriage and a revision to the law that could allow women to keep their maiden names.
Takaichi was elected to parliament in 1993 and has also served as minister of internal affairs and gender equality. She has said her role model is Margaret Thatcher.
Yoko Kamikawa, 71
A Harvard-educated former think tank analyst, Kamikawa serves as top diplomat for Kishida and supports his foreign and defense policies.
Kamikawa has a reputation for getting the job done. She has visited conflict zones including Ukraine and the Palestinian territories. She is known as low-key and diligent.
As justice minister in 2018, she signed off on the death penalty for 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult responsible for the 1995 sarin nerve gassing of Tokyo subways and other crimes.
Kono Taro, 61
Once considered a maverick for criticizing party policies, Kono makes his third challenge after unsuccessfully running in 2009 and 2021. He finished second in the previous LDP presidential election, essentially tying with Kishida in the first round but losing to him in a runoff.
As digital minister, Kono has led the elimination of Japan’s reliance on fax machines, paper documents requiring “hanko” stamps and the “My Number” social security identification system. The “My Number” rollout was plagued by mistakes and technical glitches that may have dented his popularity.
Son of former LDP Secretary General Kono Yohei, he has served as foreign and defense minister and was praised for pushing vaccinations during the coronavirus pandemic.
Kono has said Japan faces a worsening security environment in the region while at home, many people face a weakening economy, shrinking population, and gender disparity that are tantamount to a “emergency.” He supports Japan’s ongoing military buildup, a stronger Japan-US alliance and expanded defense cooperation with other like-minded nations.
Despite his earlier support for a nuclear energy phase-out, Kono now supports maintaining it to meet soaring demands to power advanced data centers and AI.
Kono has backpedaled from his support for a female emperor, a shift seen as an attempt to gain support from party conservatives.
Motegi Toshimitsu, 67
As party secretary general, Motegi holds the LDP’s No. 2 position after Kishida. He has served as foreign and economy ministers and has a reputation as a tough negotiator.
Motegi has said he will achieve economic growth that would end deflation and announced a “zero tax increase” plan that would reverse a tax hike plan adopted by Kishida’s government to cover growing defense spending and greater support to address declining births.
Motegi has said he will continue Kishida’s security and foreign policies and “decisively” respond to China’s coercive actions in the region.
A graduate of University of Tokyo and Harvard University school of public policy, Motegi was elected to Japan’s lower house in 1993 after working for consultancy McKinsey.
The final three candidates in the race are Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa, former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki, and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu.
The election will be determined by votes from LDP legislators as well as party members from across Japan. If no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round, the top two contenders will advance to a runoff.
