TOKYO: Former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi has become the first candidate to enter the race for Japan’s next prime minister following Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation announcement.
The 69-year-old politician, nicknamed the “Trump Whisperer” for his handling of US-Japan trade talks, aims to lead the world’s fourth-largest economy through current challenges including rising food prices and US tariff impacts on the auto sector.
Motegi declared his candidacy during a press conference, stating his determination to move Japan forward by resolving difficult domestic and international issues.
Ishiba’s resignation comes after his party suffered significant losses in two parliamentary elections, ending his 11-month tenure that saw the Liberal Democratic Party lose its majority in both houses of parliament.
The Harvard-educated Motegi brings extensive experience as a former trade minister and LDP secretary general to his leadership bid.
Other potential candidates include Sanae Takaichi, a 64-year-old nationalist who could become Japan’s first female prime minister, and 44-year-old Shinjiro Koizumi, the current farm minister.
The new LDP leader will need parliamentary approval to become prime minister, with the ruling coalition currently holding minority status in both legislative chambers.
Japan’s next leader will inherit complex challenges including an ageing population, massive national debt, and economic pressures from inflation and trade relations.
The country faces continued pressure to increase defence spending amid regional tensions while managing its strategic alliance with the United States. – AFP
