TOKYO - With the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election just days away, questions have emerged over the handling of a clerical error in Kanagawa Prefecture’s membership rolls, an organization chaired by Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
The prefectural branch admitted at a press conference that a mistake led to about 800 eligible voters being removed from the list in June, before later being reinstated, and apologized for the confusion.
Commenting on the matter during a television appearance on October 1st, former Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said, "If it was a clerical error, shouldn’t it have been disclosed much earlier?" stressing that such problems should have been shared within the party before becoming an issue so close to the election.
Meanwhile, another challenge facing Koizumi is the Shine Muscat issue. Japan spent nearly three decades developing the high-end grape variety, but seedlings have leaked overseas, leading to unauthorized production and sales in China, South Korea, and beyond. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is considering a framework to allow overseas cultivation under license agreements, with royalties directed back to Japanese producers.
Hashimoto argued that this should be seen not as a setback but as an opportunity, calling the approach "the strongest business model." He emphasized that licensing, rather than relying solely on exports, is a strategy widely used by advanced economies and one that could provide sustainable income to Japanese farmers if structured properly. He also urged Koizumi to highlight this as a positive model, rather than only focusing on the potential damage to producers.
As the leadership race intensifies, FNN polling indicates that Koizumi holds the strongest backing among Diet members with more than 80 supporters, followed by Yoshimasa Hayashi with around 60 and Sanae Takaichi with more than 40. However, among party members surveyed, Takaichi currently leads, followed by Koizumi and then Hayashi. Many analysts expect the election to head to a runoff, where shifting alliances among the top three candidates will determine the outcome.
Hashimoto noted that Koizumi’s reformist message has been muted in recent weeks, making him appear less distinct from Hayashi. Should the two face off in a runoff, he suggested that lawmakers may lean toward Hayashi, whose experience offers a sense of stability. At the same time, Takaichi’s uncompromising conservative stance has gained momentum among grassroots members, although she has struggled to expand support among lawmakers in Nagatacho.
Hashimoto concluded that for Koizumi, effectively communicating the Shine Muscat licensing model as a forward-looking agricultural strategy could be crucial in offsetting criticism and reaffirming his image as a reform-oriented candidate.
Source: KTV NEWS
