Following a decrease in public support rates and the political donation issues within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (LDP chairman) announced on Wednesday (August 14th) that he will not run in the upcoming LDP presidential election scheduled for September. This decision implies that he will resign from the position of Prime Minister once the new president is elected.
During a press conference held in the morning at the Prime Minister’s Office, Kishida stated, “It is necessary to firmly demonstrate to the people that the LDP will change… to show that a change will occur, the most obvious first step is for me to step down.”
He mentioned that due to issues related to the controversial religious group and factional political and financial problems, he has been unable to dispel public distrust in politics, and thus he plans to entrust a new face to rebuild the party.
At the press conference, Kishida did not mention any specific successor. When asked about whom he would nominate as a successor, he replied, “Those who announce they are not running should avoid making comments on this matter.”
However, he emphasized that a series of reforms are already underway regarding politics, finances, and restoring public trust, and these reforms must continue without any setbacks. He expressed his hope that the mentality of political reform would not regress.
Reuters compiled a list of potential prime ministerial candidates who may appear in the next month’s LDP presidential election.
Shigeru Ishiba has run for LDP presidency (party chairman) four times and has previously served as Defense Minister. However, he has not officially announced whether he intends to participate in the upcoming presidential election.
Ishiba leads in opinion polls by a wide margin but may face difficulty in winning the support of LDP lawmakers, who play a significant role in deciding the next party leader.
In a recent interview with Reuters, Ishiba supported the Bank of Japan’s gradual interest rate hike policy, stating that normalizing monetary policy could lower prices and enhance industrial competitiveness.
Toshimitsu Motegi, the incumbent LDP Secretary-General, has held various cabinet positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
He studied at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, worked for the Yomiuri Shimbun and McKinsey & Company, and entered politics in 1993.
Motegi is known for his tough negotiation skills and has engaged in negotiations with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during the presidency of Donald Trump.
As the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and former Environment Minister, he ranks second in the latest public opinion polls behind Shigeru Ishiba. While projecting an image of a reformer, he also takes care not to offend senior party members.
Koizumi graduated from Columbia University and was appointed as Environment Minister in 2019 at the age of 38, becoming one of the youngest lawmakers in post-World War II Japan’s cabinet.
As the current Minister of Economic Security, Seiko Noda has played a key role in the legislation establishing an economic security review system.
She is known for her conservative stance. Despite receiving support from the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the LDP presidential election of 2021, she lost to Kishida.
According to Jiji Press, there is strong internal desire within the LDP for a female candidate to appear in the party’s presidential election in September this year to address negative impacts such as political donation issues.
Noda is viewed as having a high likelihood of actively running for the election. In July, she published a new book titled “Japan’s Economic Security.” She has been holding lectures across the country and her social media platform is filled with photos of her with numerous attendees. Noda also plans to compile the results of a study group she established last year in preparation for the presidential election into a book later this month.
Taro Kono, who previously challenged Kishida in a party leadership election, is considered a potential candidate for running again. As the Digital Minister in the Kishida government, he has been advocating for the gradual elimination of outdated technologies such as floppy disks and fax machines.
Kono received education at Georgetown University, is fluent in English, has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense, and supervised the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program under the leadership of former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga before Kishida.
He is known for his independent stance but has maintained consistent alignment on key policies carried out during former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration.
This relatively low-key Foreign Minister has drawn attention as a potential candidate for prime minister in recent public opinion polls.
After graduating from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, she worked for U.S. Democratic Senator Max Baucus.
When serving as Minister of Justice in 2018, she signed execution orders for 13 death row inmates belonging to the Japanese cult group Aum Shinrikyo. This cult was responsible for the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, which resulted in 13 fatalities and over six thousand injuries.
Nobuteru Ishihara, who previously served as the first Economic Security Minister, received acclaim for passing economic security legislation aimed at strengthening critical supply chains.
Also graduating from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, his professional career began in the Ministry of Finance, and he worked at the Embassy of Japan in the United States before entering politics in 2010.
He was first elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 2012 and served as a Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense during the era of Shinzo Abe.