Photo/Illutration Shinjiro Koizumi is asked if he will run in the LDP’s presidential election at the Federation of Kanagawa Prefecture Branches on Aug. 18. (Kantaro Katashima)

Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has decided to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election, bringing to the race a young candidate with name recognition, sources said.

Koizumi, 43, has told several members of the party that he will seek the presidency and is deciding on a specific time to officially announce his candidacy, they said Aug. 20.

The main issue of the election will likely be how to renew the LDP, whose popularity has waned due to a political funding scandal involving party factions.

Koizumi is close to Yoshihide Suga, the 75-year-old former prime minister whose constituency is in Kanagawa Prefecture, the same as Koizumi’s.

Suga, who does not belong to any faction, intends to support Koizumi.

Other party lawmakers who do not belong to factions and are close to Suga will become the core supporters for Koizumi.

Koizumi, the second son of the former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, was elected to the Lower House for the first time in 2009.

He entered the second administration of Shinzo Abe as environment minister in 2019, his first Cabinet post.

A public opinion survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun in July asked voters who in the LDP is most suitable to become prime minister.

Koizumi placed second, gaining support from 17 percent of respondents. Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, 67, ranked first, with 21 percent.

Koizumi’s age could work both for and against him in the election.

Some LDP lawmakers believe they can show the nation that the party is changing by putting a young and popular politician at the top.

On the other hand, some LDP members are concerned about Koizumi’s lack of experience in important positions and leadership posts.

And his remarks as environment minister sometimes caused a backlash.

Ishiba is scheduled to announce his candidacy on Aug. 24, followed by Taro Kono, 61, the digital transformation minister, on Aug. 26.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, who belonged to the now-dissolved Kishida faction, is also expected to soon announce his candidacy.

The LDP’s Presidential Election Administration Committee decided that campaigning will start on Sept. 12, with votes cast and counted on Sept. 27.

Ichiro Aisawa, head of the committee, told reporters that he will call on candidates to refrain from vote-gathering activities that incur substantial costs, such as mass distribution of mail.

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