On August 20, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced that the elections of its next party leader will be held on September 27. The winner will likely be confirmed as Japan's next prime minister.
An unusually high number of candidates — 11 as of publication — are being floated as potential runners in the party leadership race. Interestingly, it's also an internationally-minded group. Over half of them studied political science in the United States.
In past elections, a leading candidate appeared early on, making the winner an almost foregone conclusion.
However, due to the dissolution of five out of six factions in the party, and a push for image renewal following a funding scandal, the stakes are very different this time. It's shaping into one of the most interesting elections in recent history.
Who is who in this election? JAPAN Forward breaks down the options for our readers with a look at the candidates below.
Takayuki Kobayashi: The Young Conservative
A rising star in the ranks of the Liberal Democratic Party, Takayuki Kobayashi was the first of three candidates to have confirmed the backing of 20 fellow LDP party members in the National Diet. He announced his campaign on August 19 under the slogans of "Making [Japan] a Country to Lead the World " and "An LDP Rebirth."
At 49 years old, Kobayashi is one of the two youngest candidates. He is nicknamed "Kobahawk," a hint to his politics and the kanji characters in his first name.
Kobayashi is also one of many internationally influenced candidates in this race. He graduated from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in 2003.
Elected to represent Chiba Prefecture in 2012, he has already won four terms in the Lower House of the National Diet. Notably, his experience includes serving as Economic Security Minister under Fumio Kishida, starting in 2021.
Kobayashi's proposed policies center on investment in the economy, new technologies, fusion energy, and increasing Japan's security stance in the Indo-Pacific region.
At 186 centimeters tall, he defines himself as quite the sportsman and was on the rowing team at university.
Shigeru Ishiba: The Veteran
For Shigeru Ishiba, this race is his fifth attempt to secure the LDP presidency. He officially announced his candidacy on August 24.
A Tottori Prefecture native, Ishiba was first elected as a member of the Lower House of the National Diet in 1986. Now at the age of 67, he has held several significant positions, including the Secretary General of the LDP, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
In his 2021 leadership bid, his policy proposal centered around regional revitalization.
He is known to be popular among LDP voters and rank-and-file members, but less so among fellow National Diet members. Ishiba was also a longtime critic of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Taro Kono: The Renegade
Known in the party as a maverick, Kono first ran for LDP leadership in 2009 when he was in his forties. Now 61, he announced his candidacy on August 26.
A fluent English speaker and graduate of Georgetown University (Washington, DC), he was elected to represent Kanagawa Prefecture in 1996. For his policies, he has largely advocated against nuclear energy and for more progressive positions such as allowing imperial succession through the female line.
Kono has held several key positions in the past, including Minister of Defense and Minister of Digital Transformation. Additionally, he was the Minister in charge of the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout, which gained him the nickname of Vaccine Czar. Popular in public opinion polls and on social media, his X profile is humorous and features pictures of his lunch, much to netizens' delight.
Sanae Takaichi: The Iron Lady
Takaichi comes from Nara Prefecture and is 63 years old. She is also said to be on track to secure 20 signatures from LDP members.
Her background at university was in business, which she has applied in her position as Minister of State for Economic Security in the Kishida Cabinet since 2022. She was a strong advocate of the security clearance bill for vetting people handling sensitive issues of economic and national security. It was seen as a significant step in strengthening Japan's protection of national secrets and enabling intelligence sharing.
In general, Takaichi is a candidate from the more conservative part of the LDP, highlighting policies that strengthen Japan's defense and economic security in the region. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe endorsed her in the presidential election in 2021. Takaichi was part of Abe's faction before going factionless in 2011. The fact that she has not belonged to a specific faction since then has been hailed as an advantage as it kept her out of the LDP's recent party funding scandal.
As a fun fact, she is known to admire former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher and for being a heavy metal fan.
Shinjiro Koizumi: The Celebrity
Born in 1981, at just 43 years old, Koizumi is the youngest candidate of the lot. He is the son of Junichiro Koizumi, the immensely popular prime minister who served between 2001 and 2006. His brother Kotaro, is a famous actor. Like fellow LDP member Kono, he was also elected in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Shinjiro Koizumi has previous experience in government, as he covered the position of Environment Minister from 2019 to 2021. Politically, he's expressed his positions more on the progressive side of the spectrum, against nuclear energy, and for more active paternity leave.
Koizumi also speaks English. After earning his master's degree at Columbia University in New York, Koizumi worked for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, DC-based think tank. He returned to Tokyo in 2007 to run for his retiring father's Lower House seat in 2008.
Due to his popularity, he has been heavily scrutinized in the media. In 2019, he was widely covered in the news due to his pledge to mobilize young generations by making fighting for climate change more "sexy."
Yoko Kamikawa: The Foreign Minister
A fluent English speaker with an undergraduate degree at Tokyo University, Kamikawa received a master's from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in 1988. At 71 years old she is a veteran lawmaker, first elected to the Lower House from Shizuoka Prefecture in 2000.
Her resume includes a variety of posts, including two stints as Minister of Justice. Serving as Foreign Minister under Fumio Kishida, Kamikawa has attracted worldwide attention as she guided like-minded countries through the year when Japan held the G7 presidency.
She has been a vocal advocate for women's empowerment.
Katsunobu Kato: The Dependable Candidate
At 68 years old and from Okayama Prefecture, most Japanese might remember Kato from when he navigated the country through the initial stages of COVID-19 as health minister. According to media reports, he is expected to announce his candidacy in the coming days.
Kato's portfolio is mainly in the Ministry of Health and as Chief Cabinet Secretary. He also served as Minister in charge of the Abduction issue.
Although not as well known to the public, he is particularly close to Yoshihide Suga and is considered a dependable politician in the party.
Ken Saito: The METI Minister
Aged 65 and hailing from Chiba Prefecture, Saito has gathered attention recently since being appointed as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2023.
In the past, he has also held the position of Minister of Justice and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Before entering politics, he worked extensively behind the scenes in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. He was also the vice-governor of Saitama Prefecture. He also received a master's from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1991.
Having been successfully voted into the House of Representatives fewer than five times, he is considered to have relatively less national election experience.
Yoshimasa Hayashi: The Foreign Policy Hand
Elected in Yamaguchi prefecture, 63-year-old Hayashi is a politician close to the exiting prime minister Kishida. He has previously expressed his intention to run in the LDP election, but it's unclear if he's gathered enough signatures to throw his hat in the ring.
He is also a candidate fluent in English, as he also received a master's from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Hayashi has extensive experience in ministerial positions, most recently as Minister of Foreign Affairs inr the Kishida administration. But he has also served as minister of defense, of agriculture, and he is the current chief cabinet secretary.
Following the footsteps of his father Yoshiro, he headed the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians Union (Nicchū Yūkō Giin Renmei) until shortly after his foreign minister appointment. Despite his plethora of experience, voices in his party have expressed concern that he is not well known to the general public compared to other candidates.
Toshimitsu Motegi: LDP Executive
The current LDP secretary general, the 68-year-old from Tochigi has expressed his interest in running for the party president for the first time, according to media reports. He is among the four candidates to have graduated from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. In his case, he graduated in 1983.
With a background in economics, Motegi worked in several positions before entering politics. He started with the corporation Marubeni. However, he also briefly as a politics reporter for Yomiuri Newspaper. Later, he also worked for eight years as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.
Motegi then entered politics in 1993. In the following 30 years he accumulated experience in several ministerial positions, including Minister of Economic Revitalization, of Economy, Trade and Industry, and of Foreign Affairs.
Seiko Noda: Child Policy Advocate
From Gifu prefecture, Noda is 63 and the daughter of former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda (2011-2012) in the government of the Democratic Party of Japan (later the Constitutional Democratic Party). Seiko Noda, however, entered politics as a member of the LDP. She also ran in the LDP leadership race in 2021.
Noda graduated from Sophia University's Faculty of Foreign Studies. With experience as Minister of Internal Communications and Women's Empowerment, her proposed policies have centered around addressing declining births and supporting families.
This also comes from her experience of going through fertility treatment in her 40s. Noda has publicly spoken of the hurdles of becoming a mother at the age of 50.
Watch for updates as these or other LDP members of the Diet announce their candidacy.
RELATED:
- Understanding the LDP Leadership Election
- Why I Support Sanae Takaichi for Our Next Prime Minister
- Takayuki Kobayashi: A Strong New Contender in the LDP
Author: Arielle Busetto
