Latest news with #SanaeTakaichi
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Who could replace Japan's Ishiba as leader of the ruling party?
TOKYO, July 23 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to announce his resignation by the end of next month, media said on Wednesday, following a bruising defeat in an upper house election. That step would trigger a leadership race in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), whose winner would face a vote for prime minister in the lower house of parliament. But the party and junior coalition partner Komeito lack a majority in the chamber, which could complicate the selection. Here are the LDP lawmakers who might throw their hats in the ring: SANAE TAKAICHI, 64: A Yomiuri newspaper poll following Sunday's election showed Takaichi as the top pick for prime minister in an LDP-led government, with 26% of votes, followed by farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi, at 22%. Representing the party's right wing, she lost to Ishiba in the September leadership race in a run-off vote. Takaichi previously served as Japan's economic security minister, internal affairs minister and the LDP's policy council chief. She is known for her conservative views, such as revising the pacifist constitution, and is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni war shrine, viewed by some Asian neighbours as a symbol of past militarism. She also opposes allowing women to retain their maiden names, saying it would undermine tradition. Takaichi courted controversy in 2016 when she suggested the government could revoke broadcasting licences of media companies deemed to be politically biased. SHINJIRO KOIZUMI, 44: The son of a former prime minister and heir to a political dynasty with a hand in governing Japan for more than a century, he would become its youngest prime minister in eight decades if he succeeded Ishiba. Koizumi also ran in the last party leadership race, presenting himself as a reformer able to restore public trust in a party mired in scandal. Unlike Takaichi, who left government after her defeat in that contest, the Columbia University-educated Koizumi stayed close to Ishiba as his agriculture minister, overseeing the release of rice stockpiles in a bid to curb soaring prices of the staple. TOSHIMITSU MOTEGI, 69: A former foreign minister, Motegi has a reputation as a tough negotiator and handled talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer when President Donald Trump was last in office. He has also served as trade minister, economy minister and the party's secretary general. He studied at the Harvard Kennedy School and worked at the Yomiuri newspaper and consulting firm McKinsey before entering politics in 1993. Other potential candidates include Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, and Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato, 69.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Ishiba's last stand? Japan's LDP in turmoil as Sanseito surge erodes PM's grip on power
With his grasp on power slipping, Japan 's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office despite a stinging electoral rebuke that plunged his ruling coalition into fresh turmoil. The humiliating setback, confirmed late on Sunday , has fuelled doubts about Ishiba's leadership as rivals within his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) circle and stoked anxiety in the world's fourth-largest economy , already reeling from rising prices, mounting security threats and the disruptive effects of US President Donald Trump 's aggressive tariff regime. In a sombre appearance on public broadcaster NHK two hours after polls closed on Sunday, Ishiba 'solemnly' conceded the 'harsh result'. 'It is a difficult situation that must be taken very humbly and seriously,' he said. Pressed on he intended to continue as Japan's leader, he replied: 'That's right'. But Ishiba's leadership of the party and the country appears increasingly precarious. Signs of discontent have flared within the LDP since the vote, with former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi openly signalling her readiness to challenge the prime minister. Addressing supporters in Nara prefecture on Friday, Takaichi declared the party was 'under scrutiny' and warned it might require drastic change to resurrect its fortunes. Sanae Takaichi speaks before an LDP run-off election in September last year. The ex-economic security minister has been positioning herself as a possible successor to Ishiba. Photo: AP 'I have made up my mind in my own way,' Jiji Press quoted her as saying. 'I will once again firmly reset the party's backbone. I promise to fight for that.'
South China Morning Post
14-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Japan's political turmoil sparks nostalgia for Shinzo Abe
Three years after the assassination of Shinzo Abe , Japan's longest-serving prime minister, his legacy continues to cast a long shadow over a struggling ruling party and an embattled successor, fuelling a wave of public nostalgia ahead of Sunday's crucial upper house election. Abe, remembered as a polarising yet dominant figure who shaped Japan's modern conservative identity, was gunned down on July 8, 2022, while campaigning in the city of Nara. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba quietly observed this year's anniversary by laying flowers at the site of Abe's murder, in what some saw as an effort to tap into his predecessor's enduring public appeal. In Abe's hometown of Nagato in Yamaguchi prefecture, his widow Akie placed flowers on his grave, telling reporters: 'He was able to work hard for the country, feeling at ease thanks to the support he received in elections.' Japanese Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba lays flowers at a memorial for former prime minister Shinzo Abe in a cemetery in the western Japan city of Nara on Tuesday, the third anniversary of his assassination in the city. Photo: Kyodo She was joined by Sanae Takaichi, a former cabinet minister who was once widely seen as Abe's natural heir on the nationalist right. 'I feel frustrated when I hear people wondering how the world would have changed and how Japan would have been if Abe had been alive,' Takaichi said.
Japan Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Parties make final push for candidates ahead of July 20 Upper House election
With just days remaining until the July 20 Upper House election, political heavyweights from both ruling and opposition parties are crisscrossing the country in a final push to boost the standing of candidates in tight races. Prominent speakers are drawing crowds and grabbing headlines with an intensity that sometimes sparked criticism from within their own parties. 'It's clearly a tough battle, but I believe we'll win in the end,' said agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) during a stump speech in the city of Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, on Wednesday. Koizumi, who took up the post in late May, has garnered attention for leading efforts to rein in rice prices. He has not shied away from criticizing the opposition, telling voters that 'the agriculture ministry's budget was the lowest during the former Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) administration,' which formed the government between 2009 and 2012. Alongside Koizumi, former Economic Security Ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi have also emerged as star campaigners for the LDP. All three are seen as potential successors to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, with many interpreting their energetic appearances as groundwork for the next LDP leadership race. Meanwhile, Ishiba himself canceled a scheduled appearance in Gifu Prefecture on Thursday. Some within the party speculated he was asked to stay away. 'Maybe the local camp declined his support,' one party insider said. Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi waves to the audience at his stump speech on Wednesday in the city of Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture. | Jiji LDP lawmakers sidelined by the party's recent slush fund scandal have also hit the campaign trail to support former faction members. Koichi Hagiuda, once a top figure in a faction previously led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, delivered a speech in Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday in which he took aim at Ishiba. 'We can't win public trust by relying on the current administration,' he said. Within the LDP's junior coalition partner Komeito, former party leader Natsuo Yamaguchi, who is retiring, remains in high demand across the country. Having led the party for 15 years, Yamaguchi continues to receive warm applause from supporters on the campaign trail. On the opposition side, veteran lawmakers associated with the former DPJ government have been making their voices heard across the nation. At a rally in the city of Aomori on Wednesday, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) chief Yoshihiko Noda referenced Japan's ongoing tariff negotiations with the U.S., declaring, 'Agriculture must never be sacrificed.' Seasoned CDP lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa visited a candidate's office in the city of Fukushima the same day, during which he proclaimed in a show of continued ambition for a change in administration, 'We must take back the government.' Meanwhile, the other leaders of opposition parties are spearheading their respective campaign efforts. Hirofumi Yoshimura, the leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai who is also the governor of Osaka, is making the rounds up and down the country, as are other party heads, including Japanese Communist Party chairperson Tomoko Tamura, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki, Reiwa Shinsengumi chief Taro Yamamoto, Sanseito's Sohei Kamiya, Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima, and Conservative Party of Japan's Naoki Hyakuta. In Sapporo on Wednesday, Yoshimura criticized the ruling coalition's campaign pledge of providing cash handouts of ¥20,000 ($137) to ¥40,000 to each citizen, describing it as 'vote buying.' Translated by The Japan Times
Japan Forward
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Calls Grow for Spy Prevention Law in Japan Amid Rising Security Concerns
On May 27, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba received a formal policy proposal calling for the creation of a spy prevention law. The measure aims to strengthen protections for classified information. Sanae Takaichi, a former Minister for Economic Security, presented the proposal. Takaichi now chairs the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Research Commission on Public Safety, Counter-Terrorism, and Anti-Cybercrime Measures. In addition, the document urges the government to introduce "a spy prevention law that aligns with international standards." Furthermore, it recommends drafting a national intelligence strategy to serve as a foundation for Japan's intelligence-gathering operations. The ruling LDP is reportedly considering incorporating the proposal into its campaign platform for the upcoming House of Councillors election this summer. Following the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, Sanae Takaichi told reporters: "I got the sense that the Prime Minister shares a strong sense of urgency on this issue. He said, 'I'd like to study this carefully,' so I hope the government will begin taking concrete steps." At a separate press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi underscored the need to bolster counterintelligence efforts, stating: "We recognize that foreign intelligence agencies are conducting operations in Japan, and we are responding with appropriate measures." He added that the government remains committed to further strengthening its capabilities in this area. Earlier in May, Prime Minister Ishiba had also addressed the issue in the Diet, declaring: "We must assess whether our current human intelligence capabilities are sufficient. While protecting human rights, I recognize that further measures may still be needed to protect Japan's national interests." Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya struck a more reluctant tone during a June 12 session of the House of Councillors Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense. In response to a question from Hirofumi Yanagase of the Nippon Ishin no Kai, Iwaya stated bluntly: "I am cautious regarding the enactment of what is commonly referred to as a spy prevention law." Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya Referring to Takaichi's proposal submitted on May 27, Yanagase urged the government to act: "I really hope this moves forward. But for 40 years, nothing has progressed. Minister Iwaya has consistently expressed negative views on the matter." In response, Iwaya repeated the need for caution: "Regarding the necessity of such a law, I believe it must be carefully considered from multiple perspectives, including respect for fundamental human rights such as the right to know. It's not that I oppose it, but I believe it requires a prudent approach." He went on to say: "We must seriously consider what measures are necessary to safeguard our national interests while also ensuring proper respect for human rights." Pressed on why he remains cautious, Iwaya pointed to the heated controversy that surrounded the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets: "There was intense debate in the Diet at the time. The core of the discussion was whether adequate consideration was given to the public's right to know and basic human rights. The exact contents of a prospective spy prevention law remain unclear, but legislation of this kind must be approached with similar caution." (Read a related article in Japanese ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
