Koizumi Shinjiro, the agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister (44) and son of former Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro, declared his candidacy in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership race. Koizumi, the agriculture minister, is drawing attention as he runs first in favorability in polls asking who is most suitable to be the next prime minister.
According to NHK and other foreign media on the 20th, Koizumi, the agriculture minister, held a news conference in Tokyo that morning and officially announced his intention to run in the leadership election. This is Koizumi's second bid for the LDP leadership.
The LDP leadership election will be held on Oct. 4. Given Japan's political structure in which the ruling party leader serves as prime minister, it is effectively an election to choose the next prime minister.
That day, Koizumi said of the LDP's loss of its majority in both the upper and lower houses, "It is because we have failed to face the public's anxieties and have lacked empathy for people suffering from high prices," adding, "I will listen to the people's voices, sense their thoughts and face their anxieties."
Koizumi said he will review economic policies to immediately tackle high prices and submit an extra budget to an extraordinary Diet session, adding that he will aim for 135 trillion yen in domestic investment and a 1 million yen increase in the average wage by 2030.
Koizumi also noted on diplomacy and security, "Korea is an important neighbor with whom we must cooperate on a range of challenges in the international community," signaling his intent to improve Korea-Japan relations. He said, "We will continue shuttle diplomacy and build trust between leaders to advance bilateral ties." He added a plan to promote regional stability by cooperating with liberal democracies such as Australia and India, with the U.S.-Japan alliance as the axis. However, when asked whether he would visit Yasukuni Shrine, he only said, "I will judge appropriately."
Koizumi was also cited as the most suitable figure for the next prime minister in a poll released on the 18th. According to a Jiji Press poll conducted from the 12th to the 15th, 23.8% of respondents said they support Koizumi, the agriculture minister. That slightly outpaced support for former economic security minister Takaichi (21.0%).
When the poll sample is limited to LDP supporters, Koizumi leads 31.8% to Takaichi's 19.7%, widening the gap. Kono Taro, former digital minister, who has declared he will not run in this election, has also expressed support for Koizumi, calling him "a person who can unite the LDP in a difficult situation."
The LDP has currently lost its majority in both houses. This leadership election is expected to be a watershed that will determine not only the party's rebuilding but also the direction of national governance. If Koizumi, who fronts a youthful and reformist image, wins, he will set a new record as "Japan's youngest postwar prime minister."