Photo/Illutration

Shigeru Ishiba and Shinjiro Koizumi emerged as the most popular candidates among the public for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election next month, according to an Asahi Shimbun survey.

Both Ishiba, 67, and Koizumi, 43, received 21 percent support in the nationwide survey conducted on Aug. 24 and 25.

Ishiba, a former LDP secretary-general, is running for the top party post for the fifth time. He said this will be his final attempt.

Koizumi is a former environment minister and the second son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced he will not seek re-election as party president. That means the winner of the LDP election is virtually assured of succeeding Kishida as prime minister.

A record high 11 candidates are expected to run in the Sept. 27 presidential election, which will be decided by rank-and-file party members and LDP lawmakers.

Among the general public, economic security minister Sanae Takaichi was the third most popular candidate, gaining support from 8 percent of respondents, according to the survey.

She was followed by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and digital transformation minister Taro Kono, both at 6 percent, while former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi gained 5 percent.

LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi was chosen by 2 percent of respondents. Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, former internal affairs minister Seiko Noda and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi were each picked by 1 percent of respondents.

The corresponding figure for Ken Saito, minister of economy, trade and industry, was 0 percent.

Twenty-two percent of all respondents—the largest group in the survey—chose none of the 11 potential candidates.

Among LDP supporters in the survey, Koizumi was picked by 28 percent, followed by Ishiba at 23 percent, Takaichi at 12 percent, Kono at 8 percent, Kamikawa at 7 percent, and Kobayashi at 5 percent.

Separately, the survey asked respondents which party they support.

The support rate for the LDP was 26 percent, up 2 percentage points from the previous survey in July.

The figure for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan increased 2 points to 7 percent, while Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) received a support rate of 2 percent, down 1 point.

Komeito, the LDP’s junior coalition partner, gained a rate of 3 percent, up 1 point, while the rate for the Japanese Communist Party was 2 percent, down 1 point.

The support rate for the Democratic Party for the People stayed flat at 1 percent, while Reiwa Shinsengumi shed 1 point to drop to 1 percent.

The support rates for the Social Democratic Party, Sanseito and Free Education for All remained unchanged at 0 percent.

Respondents were also asked which party they would choose in the proportional representation segment if a Lower House election were held now.

Thirty-two percent picked the LDP, up 3 points, followed by the CDP at 15 percent, up 1 point.

Ten percent said they would vote for Nippon Ishin, down 1 point, while Komeito was chosen by 5 percent, up 1 point.

Three percent chose the JCP, down 2 points, while 4 percent picked the DPP, up 1 point, and 4 percent selected Reiwa Shinsengumi, down 1 point.

The figures for Free Education for All and the SDP stayed flat, at 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Two percent picked Sanseito, up 1 point.

The survey using randomly generated phone numbers yielded 1,058 valid responses, including 420 on landlines and 638 on mobile phones. The valid response rates were 44 percent for landlines and 39 percent for mobile phones.

Related News