Japan is set to get its second Prime Minister in just over a year as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds a leadership election on October 4. The election could bring Japan its first woman Prime Minister or its youngest leader in the modern era.
According to a report by Reuters, the front-runners in this potentially historic LDP election are conservative nationalist Sanae Takaichi, 64, and her more moderate rival Shinjiro Koizumi, 44. Both are among the five candidates aiming to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who was forced to resign following a historic upper house election loss in July.
Among the candidates, Takaichi has pledged to implement aggressive government spending and has raised the possibility of renegotiating an investment deal with US President Donald Trump that lowered his imposing tariffs. In contrast, Koizumi is seen as someone who could build consensus with other parties.
“Koizumi and Takaichi offer two quite different approaches to that renewal,” said Tina Burrett, a political science professor at Tokyo’s Sophia University. “Koizumi is seen as someone who could forge consensus with other parties, while Takaichi would shake up a world of rather grey politicians.”
If elected, Koizumi will become Japan’s youngest Prime Minister in modern history, being only a few months older than Hirobumi Ito when he became Japan’s first Prime Minister in 1885.
Reuters also quoted a report from the Asahi newspaper stating that Koizumi leads among the 295 LDP lawmakers who will vote for the party leader, followed by candidates Hayashi and Takaichi. However, Takaichi is ahead among the rank-and-file party members.
This upcoming leadership election marks a significant moment for Japanese politics as the LDP looks to chart a new course after Prime Minister Ishiba’s resignation, with a wide spectrum of policy approaches presented by the candidates.
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