Top contenders for Japan's leadership after PM Kishida announces exit

By Isabel Reynolds and Alastair Gale
 

Japan is set to have a new leader after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday he won’t run in a election for the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in September. The president of the LDP is virtually assured of becoming prime minister because of the party’s dominance in parliament. 
 

Here’s a look at some of the potential contenders to replace Kishida.

Shigeru Ishiba

A former defence minister who has made several unsuccessful runs for the leadership role, Ishiba regularly tops the list of politicians voters would like to see as the next premier. In recent weeks, Ishiba has expressed support for the Bank of Japan’s normalisation of monetary policy. On his website he advocates policies including reinvigorating domestic demand to spur growth, rather than relying on foreign trade.  

Taro Kono

An outspoken maverick and fluent English speaker who has long been popular with the public and the LDP at large, Kono lost to Kishida in the last party presidential election due to a lack of backing from his parliamentary peers. Yet the fact he is seen as an outsider could prompt the party to turn to him to refurbish its image, which was tarnished by a political fund-raising scandal. Currently minister for digital transformation, Kono has a wealth of cabinet experience, having served as foreign minister and defense minister. Kono has softened his opposition to nuclear power in recent years. He’s expressed concern about Beijing’s rise and has said Japan should join the “Five Eyes” intelligence grouping comprised of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US. In an interview with Bloomberg TV last month, Kono urged the BOJ to lift interest rates to support the yen.

Yoko Kamikawa

Foreign Minister Kamikawa is a Harvard graduate who ran her own consulting firm before going into politics. If chosen, she would become Japan’s first female premier. She is known for her efforts to promote women candidates, an uphill battle given that only about 12 per cent of LDP lawmakers are female. Kamikawa has also come under fire from activists for signing off on as many as sixteen executions, including six members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, while serving as the justice minister. Kamikawa is an English speaker.

Toshimitsu Motegi

A party heavyweight who recently said the Bank of Japan should more clearly show its intention to normalize monetary policy, Motegi is currently the secretary-general of the LDP and former foreign minister. He’s also a Harvard graduate and has a tough guy image within the LDP. Political analysts say Motegi might be able to replicate the personal relationship formed by late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with Donald Trump if Trump wins the US presidential election in November. 

Shinjiro Koizumi

The son of former premier Junichiro, Shinjiro Koizumi attracted attention in September for surfing off Fukushima in a bid to soothe concerns over safety following the release of treated waste water from the wrecked nuclear plant nearby. A former environment minister and proponent of renewable energy who attacked government support for coal generation, he made headlines for marrying a well-known TV newscaster and for becoming the first serving cabinet minister to take paternity leave. He has largely kept a low profile since telling a 2019 news conference he wanted to make the fight against climate change “sexy” — a remark seen by many in Japan as a gaffe. In a sign he may be willing to take on his country’s vested interests, Koizumi set up a cross-party group in November to advocate for the introduction of ride-sharing apps to help resolve the shortage of taxi drivers. 

Sanae Takaichi

A former heavy metal drummer turned hard-line conservative, Takaichi has cited the late UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as an inspiration. Though currently serving as minister for economic security, she set up her own study group in November, which raised eyebrows because it’s seen as a means of gathering support for a leadership challenge. Selecting Takaichi, a frequent visitor to Yasukuni Shrine, which is regarded across the region as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism, would endanger the country’s recent rapprochement with South Korea and could further sour ties with China. She has advocated more reliance on nuclear power and expressed concerns about environmental damage caused by solar panels. Takaichi was an admirer of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and in her 2021 run for the leadership expressed support for his ultra-loose monetary policy stance.