Yokohama, Japan** – On July 14th, at a political meeting in Yokohama’s Asahi Ward, many people showed their support for Shinjiro Koizumi, a former Environment Minister, to run for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The meeting, hosted by first-term LDP member Naoki Furukawa, was attended by about 470 people who applauded loudly for Koizumi.
Koizumi, 43, spoke about the need to change the constitution, a goal the LDP has had for nearly 70 years but never achieved. He mentioned that making this change is important for the country’s progress.
Recently, Koizumi has been focusing a lot on constitutional issues. In mid-June, he gathered young lawmakers in his office and told them that changing the constitution is key to improving the political climate. One attendee noted that Koizumi seemed to be preparing for a run in the leadership race.
Koizumi, along with Shigeru Ishiba, 67, and Taro Kono, 61, are popular candidates often mentioned in polls for the next LDP leader. In the 2021 LDP leadership election, Koizumi and Ishiba supported Kono. However, their partnership has since faded, and now each is considering running on their own.
Ishiba expressed his desire to bring change from his home region of Tottori, saying it would be a great honor to fulfill this role. Kono, who has decided to run, asked his colleagues at a meeting in mid-June to stay in contact over the summer.
With growing support for Koizumi and the ambitions of Ishiba and Kono, the upcoming LDP leadership race promises to be exciting and competitive.