Poll: Ishiba Leads as 'Next LDP Leader' with 26%, Koizumi Follows with 20%

Sep 17, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A public opinion poll conducted by TV Tokyo and The Nikkei asked who would be most suitable to become the next leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who would effectively serve as the Prime Minister of Japan.

Former LDP Secretary-General Ishiba emerged as the frontrunner, with former Environment Minister Koizumi coming in second. In August's poll, these two positions were reversed. The survey was conducted using the following methods. When asked about the next LDP leader, Ishiba received 26% of the support, while Koizumi followed with 20%, marking a reversal of their positions from the August poll. Economic Security Minister Takaichi ranked third with 16%. Among LDP supporters specifically, Ishiba led with 25%, followed by Takaichi at 22%, and Koizumi with 21%.

The survey also asked who should be the next leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP). Former Prime Minister Noda led with 40%, followed by former CDP leader Edano with 18%, current CDP leader Izumi with 9%, and Lower House member Yoshida Harumi with 6%.

Source: テレ東BIZ

Typhoon No. 30 Threatens Okinawa With Violent Winds

Typhoon No. 30 remained extremely powerful at 6 a.m. on October 22 and is expected to turn northwest toward Okinawa's Sakishima Islands, bringing violent winds and torrential rain, while a weather front combined with the typhoon could deliver up to 300 millimeters of rainfall across western and eastern Japan through the weekend.

Cyberattacks Hit Japanese Police and Businesses

A growing wave of cyberattacks across Japan has raised concerns over the possible use of Chinese-developed artificial intelligence in hacking operations, with personal information belonging to tens of thousands of police employees potentially exposed and major companies forced to suspend online services, while cybersecurity experts warn that slow decision-making within Japanese organizations is allowing damage to spread.

H3 Rocket Successfully Launches Mars Moon Probe

Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the morning of October 20th, placing the probe into its planned orbit in the first stage of a mission to collect samples from one of Mars' moons and return them to Earth.

Japan Introduces Personalized Motorcycle License Plates

Motorcycle owners across Japan can now choose their preferred license plate numbers under a new system introduced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on October 19th, with popular numbers allocated by lottery and applications costing between 2,500 and 3,000 yen.

Nearly 30% of Large Japanese Companies Report Data Leaks

Nearly one in three large companies in Japan have experienced a data leak or a suspected breach, according to a survey released by Teikoku Databank on October 19th, highlighting growing concerns over corporate information security as unauthorized access incidents continue to affect businesses across the country.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Politics NEWS

Debate on Nuclear-Powered Submarines Intensifies

Japan is considering whether to introduce nuclear-powered submarines as part of a broader review of its national defense strategy, with Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi signaling on October 9 that the government would not rule out any options as it seeks to strengthen deterrence against growing regional threats, although legal restrictions, technological challenges, high costs, and demanding crew requirements present formidable obstacles.

Yokohama Elects New Mayor After Power Harassment Controversy

Atsumi Harasawa, a 59-year-old lawyer making her first bid for mayor, won Yokohama's mayoral election on October 18, defeating former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, whose resignation over allegations of workplace bullying prompted the vote.

Japan's Government Under Scrutiny Over Tax Cuts and Ministerial Scandal

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faced renewed political pressure on October 19 as fresh opinion polls showed declining public support following a ministerial resignation, while her government signaled it could issue additional bonds to finance a planned two-year consumption tax exemption on food beginning in April 2027.

Takaichi Forces Agriculture Minister Out

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has accepted the resignation of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana following controversial remarks about cutting government funding to municipalities that did not support him in an election, ending nearly two weeks of mounting criticism and leaving unresolved allegations of political pressure and election law violations.

Agriculture Minister Yana Resigns, Takaichi Accepts Responsibility

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yana submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the evening of October 14 over a controversy involving shuttle buses and other issues, prompting Takaichi to acknowledge her responsibility for appointing him and announce plans to name a successor on October 15.

Russia Releases Raid Footage of Japanese Journalist's Arrest

Russian authorities have arrested a Japanese journalist working for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper on suspicion of espionage, releasing footage of a security operation and accusing the reporter of gathering military intelligence, in a case that threatens to further strain relations between Tokyo and Moscow.

Takaichi Calls Agriculture Minister's Budget Cut Remarks Inappropriate and Uncool

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered an unusually harsh rebuke of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana on October 13, describing his claims about cutting road budgets in areas that failed to support him as "inappropriate" and "really lame," while signaling that she would reconsider whether he should remain in office as opposition lawmakers intensified their demands for his dismissal.

Farm Minister Faces Growing Distrust Over Budget Cut Remarks

Japan's Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana is facing mounting pressure to resign over remarks suggesting that government funding was reduced for municipalities that failed to support him in an election, with opposition parties considering a censure motion that could disrupt parliamentary deliberations on a consumption tax reduction bill.

< 2 3 4 5 >