Polls suggest a Koizumi–Takaichi showdown for LDP leadership, but internal powerbrokers may push aside veteran candidates to engineer a youth-versus-youth race between Koizumi and Kobayashi. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/09/18/japan/whiteboarding-the-ldp-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #yoshimasahayashi #toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi #shigeruishiba #fumiokishida

Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, is best suited to be the next president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, according to an opinion poll by Jiji Press released Thursday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/18/japan/politics/jiji-poll-koizumi-most-favored-for-ldp-president/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #sanaetakaichi #ldp #surveys

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party faces a crowded leadership race amid deepening factionalism, weakened leadership and the absence of a unifying candidate capable of halting its internal decline. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/09/16/japan/saving-the-fractured-ldp/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #shinjirokoizumi#sanaetakaichi#toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi#yoshimasahayashi

Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi touted his “moderate conservatism” as what makes him different as he announced his bid for the Liberal Democratic Party leadership on Tuesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/16/japan/politics/kobayashi-announces/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #takayukikobayashi #ldp#sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #diet#yoshimasahayashi

The outcome of the LDP's upcoming leadership election is likely to be heavily influenced by the votes of rank-and-file party members and supporters across the country. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/15/japan/politics/koizumi-takaichi-seen-running-ahead-in-ldp-race/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #shinjirokoizumi#sanaetakaichi#toshimitsumotegi #takayukikobayashi#yoshimasahayashi

Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi voiced his intention to run in the Oct. 4 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election during a meeting with supporters in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Saturday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/13/japan/politics/shijiro-koizumi-ldp-race-supporters/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #ldp #shigeruishiba

Agricultural minister Shinjiro Koizumi has decided to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's upcoming leadership race, sources said Friday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/12/japan/politics/koizumi-ldp-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #shinjirokoizumi#maff

Will a right-wing leader emerge from the LDP presidential election? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/12/japan/politics/ldp-conservatives/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #takayukikobayashi#sanaetakaichi #ldp #shinjirokoizumi#fumiokishida #tetsuosaito #komeito

Liberal Democratic Party presidential hopeful Toshimitsu Motegi aims to form a new coalition with Komeito and another party, possibly the Democratic Party for the People or Nippon Ishin no Kai. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/10/japan/politics/motegi-ldp-presidential-election-bid/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp#toshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi #takayukikobayashi #dpp #nipponishinnokai

To become prime minister, whoever wins the Liberal Democratic Party presidency on Oct. 4 must work to secure the necessary votes in parliament from the opposition. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/10/japan/politics/pm-and-opposition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #cdp #komeito #dpp #nipponishinnokai #sanseito#toshimitsumotegi #shinjirokoizumi#sanaetakaichi

Shigeru Ishiba never really had a chance to succeed as prime minister, facing a fractured party, entrenched rivals and unfavorable political conditions that made his resignation inevitable. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/09/09/japan/ldps-internal-coup-is-complete/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #shigeruishiba #ldp#sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #2025upperhouseelection

The Liberal Democratic Party will pick its next leader through a full-scale vote, a process that is likely to favor some more than others. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/09/japan/politics/presidential-election-schedule/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #shigeruishiba#sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi#toshimitsumotegi#yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi#fumiokishida #yoshihidesuga

Internal LDP factional battles have weakened the party, set up a bitter upcoming leadership contest and raised questions about Japan’s political stability and the future of its conservative wing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/09/09/japan/battle-for-the-ldps-soul/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #shigeruishiba #ldp#sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi#yoshimasahayashi #2025upperhouseelection

After weeks of speculation, Shigeru Ishiba is finally stepping down. Has the embattled ruling party learned its lesson? https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/09/09/japan/japan-deserves-better-leadership/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #shigeruishiba #ldp#sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #2025upperhouseelection

Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi is believed to have advised Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to voluntarily step down in order to prevent a split within the ruling LDP. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/07/japan/politics/koizumi-ishiba-ldp-presidential-race-decision/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #shigeruishiba #shinjirokoizumi

As the Liberal Democratic Party grapples with internal party issues, speculation over the possibility of Nippon Ishin no Kai becoming the third ruling coalition partner has grown. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/28/japan/politics/ishin-ldp-komeito/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics#hirofumiyoshimura #shinjirokoizumi #nipponishinnokai #ldp #komeito #tetsuosaito #dpp #yuichirotamaki

Japan’s beleaguered prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, turned a potential rival into a member of his team when he appointed popular lawmaker Shinjiro Koizumi as farm minister. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/22/japan/politics/koizumi-post-ishiba/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #shigeruishiba #ldp

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Friday, the 80th anniversary of the country's surrender in World War II. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/15/japan/lawmakers-visit-yasukuni-shrine/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan#yasukunishrine #wwii #ldp #sanseito #shinjirokoizumi

Shinjiro Koizumi has asked Seoul to lift restrictions on imports of fishery products from eight Japan prefectures, and met separately with Chinese and South Korean counterparts in the first such meeting in seven years. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/12/japan/politics/japan-farm-minister-sk-foreign-minister-meet/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #southkoreajapanrelations #fish #fukushimano1

Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited a rice field in a suburb of Seoul to inspect the local rice farming situation and receive explanations from a rice farmer on measures to combat high temperatures and pests. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/11/japan/farm-minister-visits-rice-field-south-korea/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #shinjirokoizumi #rice #agriculture #southkorea