Tokyo: Japan is poised for a historic political moment as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds a runoff vote to elect its new leader. The contest could produce the country’s first female prime minister or its youngest leader in over a century.
The race has narrowed to two contenders: Sanae Takaichi, 64, a hardline nationalist and the only woman in the initial field of five, and Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, a popular political scion and son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
The vote is expected to conclude on Saturday, with results anticipated around 0600 GMT. Parliament will formally vote to elect a new prime minister on October 15 to replace outgoing leader Shigeru Ishiba.
Takaichi led the first round of voting with 183 votes to Koizumi’s 164, but fell short of a majority. Her advantage is expected to narrow in the runoff, which gives more weight to LDP lawmakers rather than rank-and-file members.
Koizumi is seen as having stronger support among the 295 lawmakers casting ballots in the second round, compared to just 47 votes from prefectural representatives.
“The LDP must rebuild, restore people’s trust, and move forward,” Koizumi said ahead of the runoff. He pledged to focus on boosting wages and easing inflationary pressures while maintaining fiscal discipline. If elected, he would be the youngest Japanese leader since Hirobumi Ito, who became the country’s first prime minister in 1885.
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Takaichi has positioned herself as a staunch conservative in the mold of her mentor, the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. A supporter of ‘Abenomics,’ she favours aggressive fiscal spending and lower interest rates, often criticising the Bank of Japan’s recent tightening measures.
In her final campaign speech, Takaichi acknowledged the ruling party’s waning credibility, saying that, “I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don’t know what the LDP stands for anymore. That sense of urgency drove me to turn people’s anxieties into hope.”
Her nationalist views, including visits to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, seen by some Asian nations as a symbol of wartime aggression, have drawn both support and criticism. She has also suggested revisiting a US investment deal made under President Donald Trump and called for a constitutional revision to strengthen Japan’s defence posture, even proposing a ‘quasi-security alliance’ with Taiwan.
The LDP faces a growing challenge from opposition parties promising stronger economic support and stricter immigration policies. Under Ishiba’s leadership, the LDP and its coalition partner lost their majorities in both houses of parliament, fuelling calls for renewal within the party.
