According to a recent survey by Kyodo News, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) supporters see Sanae Takaichi as the most suitable candidate to become Japan’s next prime minister. The results of the two-day telephone poll put Takaichi on top with 34.4%, ahead of Shinjiro Koizumi with 29.3% support. When it comes to the views of LDP lawmakers, however, it is Koizumi who leads the way. A recent Jiji Press survey revealed that he has the support of more than 20% of lawmakers. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi came second with a little under 20%, while Takaichi finished third with just over 10%.
Koizumi’s Campaign Manager Quits Following Stealth Marketing Scandal
As things stand, it would appear that Japan is either going to get its first female leader or its youngest postwar prime minister. Koizumi’s leadership bid has been rocked in the past few days, though, due to a stealth marketing scandal. Tabloid magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that senior campaign official Karen Makishima encouraged members of Koizumi’s team and supporters to post messages of praise for him on the video-sharing site, Niconico. Makishima subsequently resigned. Koizumi revealed that she was subjected to slander and even bomb threats directed at her office. He added that he was “responsible for what happened within the campaign.”
During a debate on Saturday titled, “A Night with Hiroyuki” hosted by Hiroyuki Nishimura, founder of the message board 2channel, the issue was brought up. None of the other candidates pushed Koizumi on it, however, as he had already apologized. During the debate, Nishimura asked them all what kind of country they would like Japan to become. He requested that they reply in English if possible, but added that it wasn’t necessary. Koizumi spoke in Japanese because he wanted to “respond accurately.” Takayuki Kobayashi and Takaichi did the same, though the latter finished with the words, “Japan is back.” Hayashi and Toshimitsu Motegi both answered in English.
Koizumi and Kobayashi Play It Safe
The following day, another debate titled “Presidential Candidates vs. Junior and High School Students: Japan’s Future” was hosted on Niconico. They were again asked a question in English, this time by a student who said he lived in New York and didn’t speak Japanese well. He wanted to know why they wished to lead the country and when they made that decision. Again, Koizumi and Kobayashi responded in Japanese, while Hayashi and Motegi spoke in English. Takaichi, who the mediator initially forgot about, gave a short answer in English, saying, “When? When I was 24 years old. Why? Because I love Japan.”
People online were surprised that Koizumi and Kobayashi, who were educated at Columbia University and Harvard Kennedy School respectively, answered in Japanese. There are videos online of the two politicians responding well to questions in English, without the use of notes, but on this occasion they decided to go for the safer option.
