Members of the party’s territory will speak before the leaked election at the Liberal Democratic leadership election held in Tokyo, Japan on September 27, 2024.
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With the Japanese Prime Minister expressing his intention to resign, competition for becoming the country’s next leader is wide open.
Various names have been stolen to see who will be successful in Isba, but two prominent names have appeared: former Minister of Economic Security Takada Azabu and the current Minister of Agriculture.
Although neither officially announced the execution, political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said both are expected to take part in a contest that will replace Isba.
Last month’s Nikkei Opinion poll showed Kojima was leading with 23% support, while Ono was 22%. If elected, Kochi would be the first woman to lead the world’s fourth largest economy.
When asked if Japan was ready for a female prime minister, Tanaka Imura, a special adviser to the cabinet under former Prime Minister Yabu, told CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia that voters are more ready for a female leader than many would expect.
“I think the time has come for Japan to serve as the first female prime minister is in line with changes that have happened over the past 10 or 15 years,” he said, adding that “women have more labor participation in Japan than in the United States.”
According to the latest data from the Economic Cooperation and Development Agency, approximately 85% of Japanese women aged 25 to 54 worked compared to 78% in the US.
Kochi ran with Isba in last year’s liberal Democratic leadership race, leading in the first round before losing to the leak.
She later distanced herself from the Isviva government, did not play a role in the Cabinet, and rejected his offer to serve as chairman of the major LDP general council.
(Short) End of tenure
At a press conference on Sunday, Isba said he had resigned to take responsibility for a string of election losses.
His departure is that rice prices will reach their highest rate of growth in June over 50 years as Japan faces the costs of living crisis.
Isba also pointed to the completion of a trade agreement with the US. The US has set a baseline tariff of 15% on all Japanese exports to the US, including the automobile sector.
“We passed an important hurdle as Japan signed the trade agreement and the president signed the executive order,” Isba said. “I want to pass the baton to the next generation.”
His resignation also ended a brief stint in which he saw Komeito, a partner in the ruling LDP and junior coalition, lost a majority in both Japan’s upper reaches and in the House of Representatives.
Kochi vs. Ono
According to the Eurasia Group, Kochi is the “Apostle of Abenomics” and is a reference to the ABE’s economic policy that supported large-scale monetary policy easing, fiscal spending and structural reform.
“Investors will closely watch Kochi’s election outlook for the previous pointed criticism of the Bank of Japan’s plan to raise interest rates and her support for the larger fiscal stimulus,” the memo added.
BOJ ended its negative interest rate plan in March 2024 and has recently maintained it at 0.5%. However, ahead of the LDP Leadership Contest last October, Kochi said the Boj hike was “too early.”
She also supports revisions to Japan’s pacifist constitution, particularly Article 9. This waived Japan’s right to war.
On August 10th, 2025, Japan Minister of Agriculture, Onojima, at the 2025 meeting of APEC Ministers of Food Security at Songdo Convencia in Incheon, South Korea.
nuphoto | nuphoto | Getty Images
By contrast, Ono has not spoken too openly about policy, but the son of a former Japanese leader became prominent after taking over as Minister of Agriculture and managing the US crisis in Japan.
Jesper Koll, expert director of financial services firm Monex Group, said Takaichi “has a strong team of “enforcers” from both the LDP and the elite bureaucrats.”
While mainstream LDPs may not like her ideas, Kol, who labels her ideas as “radical,” scores well among the LDP elite who respects her thoroughness, debate, and willingness to get things done.
In contrast, Koll said Koizumi is a safe pair of hands. “Because he is essentially empty to policy, I am confident that the LDP’s Old Guard will not stage their established agenda, such as agricultural policy or rural interest protection.”
He also managed to easily build compromises with the House opposition to make their support the prime minister.
Or someone else?
Despite LDP-Komeito being a Japanese governing coalition, the winner of the LDP leadership race may not automatically become prime minister as the House of Representatives makes the final choice.
The LDP lost a majority in the room, so all opposition lawmakers could choose the next prime minister if they united behind a single candidate.
LDP and Komeito have a total of 220 seats in the House of Representatives, 465 seats. However, the scenario is unlikely, Eurasian analysts said they consider that the LDP, with 196 seats, remains the largest voting block in the House.
