Who are the candidates running to be Japan’s next prime minister?

Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) volition take the country’s 5th person successful 5 years connected Saturday pursuing the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

After governing Japan astir continuously since the 1950s, the blimpish enactment has been successful disarray pursuing successive predetermination defeats and a bid of governmental scandals.

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The LDP and its inferior conjugation spouse Komeito mislaid their governing bulk successful little location elections successful October past year, a decision followed by a drubbing successful precocious location polls successful July.

After starring a severely damaged number authorities for astir a year, Ishiba announced connected September 7 that helium would measurement down.

Whoever takes implicit the LDP volition look a nationalist frustrated implicit the outgo of living, an ascendant populism epitomised by the “Japan first” Sanseito party, and the headwinds of US President Donald Trump’s commercialized war.

LDP lawmakers and immoderate 1 cardinal rank-and-file enactment members volition take from 5 candidates, ranging from the lad of a erstwhile premier curate to the protege of the precocious Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Their prime could find whether Japan volition bask a play of governmental stableness oregon proceed down the way of the “rotating premier ministership,” which marked Japanese authorities successful the precocious 1990s and aboriginal 2000s, said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer astatine Japan’s Kanda University of International Studies.

“Even though it’s not historically abnormal for Japan to person a precocious turnover rate, this is simply a precise atrocious clip for Japan to not person unchangeable governmental leadership,” Hall told Al Jazeera.

Here’s a look astatine the candidates:

Shinjiro Koizumi

Koizumi, 44, is the lad of erstwhile Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and 1 of 2 frontrunners successful the race.

Earlier this year, helium stepped successful arsenic the curate of agriculture astatine a clip erstwhile the terms of atom – Japan’s beloved staple nutrient – was rising sharply.

Koizumi’s enactment connected Japan’s “rice crisis” won him a surge successful nationalist support, and helium is besides fashionable with a ample swath of the LDP, said Kazuto Suzuki, a prof astatine the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy.

“Mr. Koizumi is supported by accepted LDP heavyweights and the centre of the party. He does not person a peculiar argumentation position, truthful helium is flexible to conscionable demands from older LDP values,” Suzuki told Al Jazeera.

Viewed arsenic a governmental moderate, Koizumi has pledged to enactment with absorption parties to betterment the taxation strategy portion lowering the nationalist indebtedness ratio, and to prosecute balanced policies geared towards economical maturation with fiscal discipline.

His comparatively young property and acquisition inheritance could inactive support him from winning the enactment contempt his popularity, said Stephen Nagy, a visiting chap with the Japan Institute for International Affairs.

Koizumi attended Kanto Gakuin University and aboriginal Columbia University, but 3 of his rivals – Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Takayuki Kobayashi – graduated from the much prestigious University of Tokyo and Harvard.

“Whether we similar it oregon not, acquisition pedigrees bring respect successful nine and successful the LDP,” Nagy told Al Jazeera.

Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party Presidential Election Candidate Debate astatine Japan National Press Club successful Tokyo, Japan, connected September 24, 2025 [Jia Haocheng/Pool via Reuters]

Sanae Takaichi

Takaichi, 64, is the lone pistillate successful the contention and the starring challenger to Koizumi.

A erstwhile economical information minister, Takaichi skews towards the right-wing flank of the LDP and has “strong blimpish credentials” arsenic Abe’s erstwhile protege, Nagy said.

All the candidates person focused connected however to revive Japan’s system aft decades of stagnation, putting guardant broadly akin expansionary policies, said Sota Kato, probe manager astatine the Tokyo Foundation.

Still, Takaichi is “closer successful stance” to “Abenomics”, the three-pronged strategy of fiscal expansion, monetary easing and structural betterment championed by her mentor, Kato told Al Jazeera.

Takaichi is known for blimpish views connected societal issues, including migration and same-sex marriage, and overseas affairs, including China-Japan relations.

While her views person earned her the enactment of the blimpish helping of the LDP, they are astatine likelihood with much centrist members.

“Some judge she is precisely what the LDP needs to propulsion enactment distant from the absorption parties, specified arsenic Sanseito … Others judge she volition propulsion much centrist voters away,” Nagy said.

Former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party Presidential Election Candidate Debate astatine Japan National Press Club successful Tokyo, Japan, connected September 24, 2025 [Jia Haocheng/Pool via Reuters]

Yoshimasa Hayashi

Hayashi, 64, is considered the “dark horse” of the predetermination owed to his acquisition and amenable personality, according to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation.

Currently serving arsenic main furniture secretary, Hayashi antecedently held high-profile posts including defence main and curate of overseas affairs, and is campaigning connected an economical argumentation focused connected fiscal discipline.

Like Koizumi, helium is viewed arsenic a governmental centrist.

“From the position of LDP lawmakers, Hayashi provides a consciousness of stableness compared to figures similar Koizumi oregon Takaichi,” Kato said.

“If Hayashi secures much votes than either Koizumi oregon Takaichi successful the archetypal circular of voting and proceeds to the 2nd round, his chances whitethorn improve.”

Hayashi cited his extended ministerial acquisition portion campaigning and argued that Japan should fortify its practice with “like-minded” antiauthoritarian countries to propulsion backmost against China, Russia and North Korea.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Presidential Election Candidate Debate astatine Japan National Press Club successful Tokyo, Japan, connected September 24, 2025 [Jia Haocheng/Pool via Reuters]

Toshimitsu Motegi

Motegi, 69, is simply a erstwhile secretary-general of the LDP who besides did stints arsenic curate of overseas affairs and curate of economy, commercialized and industry.

His level includes cuts to petrol and diesel prices, wage increases for nurses and childcare workers, and incentives to promote investment.

His economical policies “fall determination successful between” those of Takaichi and Koizumi, the second of whom has placed greater accent connected fiscal subject than his much blimpish rival, according to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation.

Motegi and Hayashi some person factional enactment wrong the LDP, but this whitethorn not construe into capable votes to triumph the enactment position, according to the University of Tokyo’s Suzuki.

“Mr Motegi and Mr Hayashi are precise experienced politicians, but they correspond the old-fashioned LDP. They person definite enactment wrong the party, but they are not fashionable among the public,” helium said.

Former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party Presidential Election Candidate Debate astatine Japan National Press Club successful Tokyo, Japan, connected September 24, 2025 [Jia Haocheng/Pool via Reuters]

Takayuki Kobayashi

Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, is simply a erstwhile economical information curate and antecedently ran for person of the LDP.

His level has heavy focused connected economical maturation and assisting citizens with cost-of-living issues.

Kobayashi has the enactment of galore younger LDP members, but his younker and acquisition are imaginable handicaps, according to Nagy.

“Kobayashi is seen arsenic precise accomplished, smart, internationally minded, but inactive excessively young to combat with the 80-year-old sharks successful the LDP,” helium said.

His presumption was echoed by the University of Tokyo’s Suzuki.

“Mr Kobayashi is simply a caller procreation person who has been a rising star, but not yet fashionable enough,” Suzuki said.

“Motegi, Hayashi and Kobayashi are precise competent successful policies and their sharpness successful discussion, but these qualities are not the contented for this enactment enactment contest. The astir important contented is the popularity and reactivation of the LDP,” helium added.

Former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Presidential Election Candidate Debate astatine Japan National Press Club successful Tokyo, Japan, connected September 24, 2025 [Jia Haocheng/Pool via Reuters]