According to various opinion polls regarding the LDP presidential election (voting on the 27th), Shinjiro Koizumi, Shigeru Ishiba, and Sanae Takaichi are competing. It looks like these three will be competing for the LDP president’s seat.
If 43-year-old Koizumi takes the prime minister’s seat, he will become the youngest prime minister in history. If Takaichi is selected, the first female prime minister in history will be born.
In terms of newsiness alone, both have an advantage. Of course, we cannot leave the steering of Japan to someone who is newsworthy alone. Where will we take this country? The policy is important.
Koizumi places importance on making employment more fluid, and has also mentioned reviewing dismissal regulations. If he becomes prime minister, it is likely that he will make a cut into the rock-solid labor regulations. There are many business leaders who believe that making employment more fluid is what will lead to economic revitalization, so he is likely to garner a certain amount of support. On the other hand, Koizumi will be seen as a person to be wary of by the people and workers who have been suffering the consequences of deregulation so far.
Takaichi is known as a conservative politician with policy knowledge. If she becomes prime minister, she will likely focus on security-related issues. She is likely to place importance on Japan’s safety and security, including diplomatic security, economic security, and food security.

Also, because she is a strong conservative, she will likely back away from discussions of LGBTQ and separate surnames for married couples, which liberals favor. She is likely to garner overwhelming support from conservatives. She will also provide a sense of security to many people who are neither conservative nor liberal. However, she will inevitably face backlash from liberals.

Ishiba, a 67-year-old man, is not much of a news story, but he is very popular among the people. He stands out by calling for the creation of an Asian version of NATO.

Who will take the prime minister’s seat? Considering that a general election is coming up soon, the next prime minister may be short-lived. If that is the case, it may be worth considering letting a young person with a promising future experience the role of prime minister for now. If we want to wipe away the old image of the LDP, a female prime minister may be an option. (Kitajima Kei)

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI