The resignation of Japan’s Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba has set up the race for his successor within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a major conservative platform.
LDP — a nationalist political party formed after the Liberal Party and the Japan Democratic Party merged — has been in power since it was founded in 1955, except from 1993 to 1996, and from 2009 to 2012.
Ishiba, the LDP leader, stepped down on Sunday after an eleven-month tenure, bowing to the pressure to exit following a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election.
The former PM told a news conference that he was leaving office after successful talks with the United States regarding the tariff imposed by President Donald Trump.
“With U.S. tariff negotiations reaching a certain phase, now is the appropriate timing. I decided to give way to the next generation,” Ishiba said.
Speaking to reporters as he returned to Washington, D.C. after watching the U.S. Open, Trump described Ishiba as “a very nice man” with whom he “dealt very well together.”
As Japan and the rest of the world expect a new PM, seven LDP politicians, all former or present government officials, have emerged as the top contenders.
Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, Minister of Agriculture since May 2025 and a Member of the House of Representatives. He previously served as the Minister of the Environment from September 2019 to October 2021.
Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, served in former PM Fumio Kishida’s cabinet as Minister for Economic Security from 2021 to 2022. The member of the House of Representatives, who also aimed to lead the LDP `last year, is a Harvard Kennedy School graduate.
Sanae Takaichi, 64, is an admirer of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who lost to Ishiba in a runoff in the LDP’s leadership race in 2024. The tough conservative was Minister of State for Economic Security from 2022 to 2024.
Kono Taro, 62, Chair of the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, has superintended several ministries, including Administrative Reform, Civil Service Reform, Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Regulatory Reform, Defense, Digital Transformation, Disaster Management, and Foreign Affairs.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, the incumbent Chief Cabinet Secretary and one of Ishiba’s closest aides, contested in the last LDP leadership race. He studied at Harvard University and was Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Katsunobu Kato, 69, Minister of Finance since October 2024, is known for his key roles under the last three premiers. He served as the government’s top spokesperson and led Japan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic as Minister of Health.
Toshimitsu Motegi, 69, former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2012 to 2014, and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021.
The ex-LDP Secretary-General and Harvard Kennedy School graduate worked in the private sector before becoming a lawmaker in 1993.
