Candidates for the presidential election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party pose prior to a joint news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Sept 17, 2021. The contenders are (from left) Taro Kono, the cabinet minister in charge of vaccinations; Fumio Kishida, former foreign minister; Sanae Takaichi, former internal affairs minister; and Seiko Noda, former internal affairs minister. Official election campaigning kicked off Friday for the new head of Japan’s governing party LDP, whose winner is almost assured to become next Japanese prime minister. (KIMIMASA MAYAMA / POOL PHOTO VIA AP)
TOKYO – Candidates to become Japan's next prime minister officially launched their campaigns on Friday, with popular vaccine minister Taro Kono expected to be the top contender to replace Yoshihide Suga.
The leadership race for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) took an unexpected turn two weeks ago when Suga said he would step down, after only one year as prime minister, setting off a heated contest.
The winner of a Sept 29 LDP leadership election will become prime minister by virtue of the party's majority in the lower house of parliament.
Popular vaccine minister Taro Kono, whose resume is studded with jobs including the foreign and defense portfolios, faces off against former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi, who held the internal affairs ministry post, and Seiko Noda, a former minister for gender equality
The LDP's image has been battered by public perceptions that Suga bungled his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and are keen for a fresh face to carry them to victory in general elections expected within two months.
The race to be Japan's next leader is between four candidates.
ALSO READ: Here's who to look out for in the race to succeed Japan's Suga
The popular Kono, whose resume is studded with jobs including the foreign and defense portfolios, faces off against former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi, who held the internal affairs ministry post, and Seiko Noda, a former minister for gender equality.
Unlike in last year's LDP race, when Suga replaced then prime minister Shinzo Abe, grassroots LDP members will join lawmakers in casting ballots.
The race was officially launched by representatives of each contender registering their candidacies at LDP headquarters on Friday.
ALSO READ: Poll: Japan vaccine czar Kono favorite to succeed Suga
The media-savvy, US-educated Kono, at 58 on the younger side for a Japanese premier, is widely seen as the frontrunner due to his popularity with the public, who regularly choose him as their favourite for prime minister. Investors have also recently warmed to Kono at Kishida's expense.
His chances were bolstered this week when LDP heavyweight Shigeru Ishiba, who is popular with the party rank and file and had been considering his own candidacy, threw his support behind Kono.
Taro Kono, a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election and currently the minister in charge of vaccinations, delivers a campaign speech while another candidate former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (right) listens to him in Tokyo on Sept 17, 2021. (YOSHIKAZU TSUNO / POOL PHOTO VIA AP)
But Kono has a reputation as a maverick, and elders in the faction-ridden Liberal Democratic Party may favour the soft-spoken Kishida, 64, who hails from one of the party's more dovish factions, due to perceptions he may be better than Kono at building consensus
But Kono has a reputation as a maverick, and elders in the faction-ridden LDP may favour the soft-spoken Kishida, 64, who hails from one of the party's more dovish factions, due to perceptions he may be better than Kono at building consensus.
Takaichi, 60, is a disciple of former leader Abe, Japan's longest-serving premier, and a member of the LDP's most conservative wing. Abe publicly endorsed her on Twitter on Thursday night, praising her "determination to defend Japan's sovereignty and her strong view of the nation" – a statement that drew scores of supportive comments.
Noda, 61, who joined the race on Thursday after winning the support of the required 20 lawmakers to throw her hat in the ring, is seen as a long shot. But she could have an outsized impact on the race by making it harder for one candidate to win a majority in the first round.
READ MORE: Japan's Kono tops polls for premier before ruling party vote
Kishida is likely to have an advantage in any run-off, since grassroots members won't vote and factional pressures could come to the fore.
On economic policy, where Japan is struggling to recover from successive waves of the coronavirus, Kono wants any further stimulus to prioritise renewable energy and expansion of 5G networks, while Kishida says Japan should strive for a new form of capitalism to reduce income disparity.