Veteran lawmaker Sanae Takaichi has emerged as a frontrunner in
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race, with
the latest Nikkei/TV Tokyo opinion poll placing her ahead with 34%
support among the general public. Agriculture Minister Shinjiro
Koizumi followed with 25%, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa
Hayashi drew 14%. Former party secretary-general Toshimitsu Motegi
and ex-economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi trailed at 5%
and 4%, respectively.
The contest, set to culminate in a party
election this Saturday, will determine the successor to Prime
Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has announced his resignation. The new
LDP president is widely expected to become Japan’s next prime
minister. Among LDP supporters specifically, Koizumi enjoys a lead of
33% to Takaichi’s 28%, though broader surveys suggest Takaichi has
strong appeal among rank-and-file voters.
Against this backdrop,
Takaichi signaled that she would take a firm stance on economic
diplomacy if elected. Speaking on a live Fuji TV program Sunday, she
suggested that a recently struck trade deal with the United
States—centering on a US$550 billion Japanese investment fund in
exchange for lower U.S. tariffs—may warrant review if it fails to
protect Japan’s interests.
“We must stand our ground if
anything unfair that is not in Japan’s interests comes to light in
the process of implementing the deal,” she said. “That includes a
potential renegotiation.”
Takaichi, a former economic security
minister known for her right-leaning positions, underscored that
Tokyo should not shy away from reopening talks if the current
framework disadvantages Japan. Her comments mark a contrast to rival
Koizumi, who on the same Fuji TV program praised the agreement. “If
any issues arise, they will be discussed at the appropriate level,”
Koizumi said.
Surveys conducted by Sankei newspaper and
broadcaster JNN suggest about 30% of LDP lawmakers are leaning toward
Koizumi, with Hayashi in second place and Takaichi in third. Roughly
one-fifth of lawmakers remain undecided, leaving the race open. If no
candidate secures an outright majority in the first round, the top
two will face off in a runoff decided by 342 votes, 295 from LDP
lawmakers and 47 from regional party branches.
With polling
showing a tight race and policy contrasts beginning to sharpen,
Takaichi’s readiness to revisit the U.S. trade deal underscores how
Japan’s next leader may shape relations with Washington at a
sensitive juncture.
