Shinjiro Koizumi aims for Japan's political leadership amid economic change

In Japan, Shinjiro Koizumi announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party on September 20, 2025. As the 44-year-old Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, he aims to become the nation's youngest prime minister if he secures the party leadership. Koizumi has a vision to reshape the party, focusing on economic growth and innovation to challenge the conventional approaches established during the deflation era. During his press conference, he emphasized the need for a new economic strategy that addresses the current inflationary pressures impacting Japanese workers. Koizumi's platform centers around significant wage increases for workers, advocating for a raise of one million yen in the average annual salary by the 2030 fiscal year. His proposals include a supplementary budget for the upcoming 2025 fiscal year aimed at counteracting inflation, along with plans to eliminate the provisional gas tax quickly. He stated that in order to address the needs of the populace, the LDP must transition away from outdated economic management practices and adapt to the realities of the current financial climate. Despite having run for the party presidency previously and losing to Shigeru Ishiba, Koizumi remains a prominent contender. The Liberal Democratic Party is in a transitional phase following Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s announcement on September 7, 2025, regarding his resignation. This development has opened up the leadership race to various candidates, including former Economic Security Minister Takaichi Sanae, who is recognized as a strong candidate based on her political history and connections to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The LDP remains the dominant political party in Japan, and the new leader is likely to become the next prime minister if they can garner sufficient support from internal party members and cross-party cooperation. The party's leadership election allows for 295 LDP parliamentarians and nearly one million grassroots party members to participate, which represents a minuscule fraction of Japan's total eligible voter population. A candidate must gain a majority to win, otherwise, a runoff could be necessary. The new LDP chief will not only need to focus on revitalizing the party's agenda but also on building coalitions with opposition parties, as political stability is crucial in light of Japan's challenging domestic and international environment, particularly concerning security matters.