TOKYO (Realist English). Japan’s Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi intends to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) presidential election, sources close to him said Friday, setting the stage for a five-way contest to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Koizumi, 44, the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has recently drawn attention for efforts to tackle soaring rice prices. He reportedly played a role in persuading Ishiba to resign. Koizumi also sought the LDP leadership in 2024 but failed to reach the runoff despite strong backing from fellow lawmakers.
The October 4 election will also feature former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, both of whom have already declared their candidacies. Party insiders say Sanae Takaichi, who is seeking to become Japan’s first female prime minister, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also plan to run. All four previously stood in the 2024 leadership race.
Analysts suggest the contest could develop into a head-to-head battle between Koizumi and Takaichi, a staunch conservative who shares the hawkish security outlook of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, assassinated in 2022.
A Kyodo News poll published Friday found Takaichi to be the frontrunner, backed by 28 percent of respondents, with Koizumi second at 22.5 percent. Hayashi polled 11.4 percent, Motegi 6.1 percent and Kobayashi 3.6 percent.
Koizumi is expected to formally announce his bid at a press conference next week after consulting supporters. “I will make a final decision by listening to the voices of my constituents,” he said Friday, adding that the LDP, in power almost continuously since 1955, is in a “crisis.”
The leadership race was originally scheduled for 2027, when Ishiba’s term was due to end. Ishiba announced his resignation after the LDP-led coalition lost control of the House of Councillors in the July 20 election, compounding the loss of its majority in the more powerful lower house last year.
Takaichi lost to Ishiba in last year’s runoff despite winning more votes in the first round. She has frequently drawn criticism from Beijing, where state-run media have labeled her a “right-wing nationalist” for repeated visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.
Koizumi assumed the agriculture portfolio in May following the resignation of Taku Eto, who stepped down after a gaffe over rice gifts from supporters that hurt the LDP’s standing.
