SHINJIRO KOIZUMI’S RISE
In 2019, Mr Koizumi was appointed environment minister by the late former prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Mr Koizumi served for about two years in the role – the only Cabinet post that he has ever held.
He was also parliamentary vice-minister for reconstruction of the tsunami-hit Tohoku region in 2011.
Often rated in polls as the politician voters would most like to see as prime minister, Mr Koizumi’s star is rising in the party. He already has the backing of party heavyweight Yoshihide Suga, who is also a former prime minister.
Branding himself as a pragmatic reformist like his father, Mr Koizumi has pledged to immediately dissolve parliament for a snap election if he wins the LDP presidency.
“In order for the LDP to really undergo change, it needs a leader who would call for its reform,” he said during his election campaign in Tokyo’s Ginza earlier this month.
He also vowed to be decisive in handling the political fund scandal that has plagued the party since last November.
Lawmakers from powerful factions have been accused of pocketing funds raised at political campaigns without declaring them.
“I will put an end to the lack of transparency between politics and funds,” he added during his campaigning in Ginza.
“Even funds for stationery items which did not have to be disclosed will be disclosed. Unused funds will have to be returned to the national treasury,” he added.
The allegations have led to the downfall of LDP heavyweights including Mr Kishida’s Cabinet members.
Two factions within the party, including Kishida’s faction, were disbanded following the scandal, with a few others still in the process of being dissolved. Factions originally started with post-war prime ministers forming groups with those who shared their values.
Mr Koizumi does not belong to any faction, which has won him the support of those who want to see change.
He is also looking at introducing social reforms. Although Japan’s big companies have traditionally followed lifetime employment, Mr Koizumi has flagged the employment practice as a hindrance in encouraging the Japanese to take on new challenges and joining smaller firms.
