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

Following Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect its fifth leader in five years on Saturday.

Following numerous political scandals and successive election defeats, the conservative party has been in disarray since almost continuously rule Japan since the 1950s.

In October of last year, the LDP and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, lost their governing majority in lower house elections, which was followed by a drubbing in the upper house elections in July.

Ishiba announced on September 7 that he would step down after nearly a year of helms a severely detested minority government.

Who succeeds the LDP will face opposition from the US President Donald Trump’s trade war, rising inflation, and rising populism.

Five candidates, ranging from the son of a former prime minister to Shinzo Abe’s protégé, will be chosen by LDP lawmakers and one million rank-and-file members.

According to Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Japan’s Kanda University of International Studies, their decision could determine whether Japan will experience political stability or continue on the course of the “rotating prime ministership,” which dominated Japanese politics in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

This is a bad time for Japan to lack stable political leadership, Hall told Al Jazeera, “Even though it’s not historically unusual for Japan to have a high turnover rate.”

Taking a look at the candidates:

Shinjiro Koizumi

One of the two front-runners in the race is Junichiro Koizumi, 44, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi.

He took over as agriculture minister earlier this year as the country’s beloved staple food, rice, was seeing a sharp increase in demand.

According to Kazuto Suzuki, a professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, Koizumi’s work on Japan’s “rice crisis” has sparked a surge in public support.

Traditional LDP leaders and the party’s heart are supporting Mr. Koizumi. He is adaptable to the demands of older LDP values because he doesn’t have a specific policy position, Suzuki said.

Koizumi, who is perceived as a political moderate, has pledged to work with opposition parties to implement balanced policies aimed at economic growth and fiscal discipline.

Stephen Nagy, a visiting fellow with the Japan Institute for International Affairs, believes that despite his popularity, his relatively young age and educational background could prevent him from becoming the leader.

Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Takayuki Kobayashi, three of Koizumi’s rivals, graduated from Harvard and the more prestigious University of Tokyo, respectively. Koizumi attended Columbia University and Kanto Gakuin University.

According to Nagy, “educated pedigrees bring respect to society and the LDP, whether we like it or not.”

Sanae Takaichi

The only woman in the race and Koizumi’s main rival, Takaichi, 64, is currently in the lead.

Takaichi, a former economic security minister, is perceived as a “strong conservative candidate” by Nagy as Abe’s former protege.

According to Sota Kato, research director at the Tokyo Foundation, all candidates have put forth broadly similar expansionary policies in order to revive Japan’s economy after decades of stagnation.

Kato told Al Jazeera that Takaichi is “closer in stance” to “Abenomics,” her mentor’s three-pronged strategy of fiscal expansion, monetary easing, and structural reform.

Takaichi is well-known for having conservative views on issues like immigration and same-sex unions, as well as on international issues like China-Japan relations.

Although her views have won her over the LDP’s conservative wing, they disagree with more centrist members.

Some people believe she will sway more centrist voters away, according to Nagy, while others think it’s exactly what the LDP needs from opposition parties like Sanseito.

Yoshimasa Hayashi

According to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation, Hayashi, 64, is regarded as the “dark horse” of the election due to his wealth of knowledge and amicable personality.

Hayashi is campaigning for an economic policy that emphasizes fiscal discipline while currently serving as the chief cabinet secretary. He previously held prominent positions, including minister of foreign affairs and defense chief.

He is perceived as a political centrist, just like Koizumi.

In contrast to figures like Koizumi or Takaichi, Hayashi offers a sense of stability, according to Kato.

His chances of winning may increase if he receives more votes than Koizumi or Takaichi in the first round of voting.

Hayashi argued that Japan should work with “like-minded” democratic nations to counteract China, Russia, and North Korea while citing his extensive ministerial experience during the campaign.

Toshimitsu Motegi

Motegi, 69, previously served as the LDP’s secretary-general and held the positions of economy, trade, and industry.

His policies include incentives to encourage investment, wage increases for nurses and childcare workers, and price reductions for gasoline and diesel.

According to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation, his economic policies “fall somewhere between” Takaichi and Koizumi’s, who have placed more of an emphasis on fiscal discipline than their more traditional rivals.

Motegi and Hayashi both have factional backing within the LDP, but Suzuki, a student at the University of Tokyo, believes that this may not lead to enough votes to win the leadership position.

Although Mr. Motegi and Mr. Hayashi are well-versed in politics, they still support the traditional LDP. They have some party support, he said, but the general public doesn’t know about them.

Takayuki Kobayashi

Former LDP leader Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, is also a former minister of economic security.

His platform has a strong emphasis on promoting economic growth and assisting citizens with living expenses.

Kobayashi has the backing of many younger LDP members, but Nagy believes that his youth and background could be a hindrance.

Kobayashi is regarded as very accomplished, intelligent, and internationally thought-provoking, but he is still too young to compete with the LDP’s 80-year-old sharks, he claimed.

Suzuki of the University of Tokyo echoed his opinion.

Mr. Kobayashi has been a rising star in his field, but he is not yet well-known enough, Suzuki said.

Motegi, Hayashi, and Kobayashi have excellent political acumen and sharp discussion skills, but this party leadership contest doesn’t address these traits. The LDP’s popularity and revival are its most crucial factors, he continued.

Source: Aljazeera