Eight and counting | Today in Japanese politics

The LDP field is almost set, CDP candidates debate again, and a Japanese warship will head to San Diego

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The rundown

Katō Katsunobu becomes the eighth candidate to join the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership race and another will join tomorrow — although one of the prospective candidates abandoned her efforts. Three LDP candidates released their policy platforms, and one candidate may have already violated campaign rules. The Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) leadership candidates held a couple of debates, which highlighted some differences between them. Elsewhere in Japanese politics, Kōmeitō leader Yamaguchi Natsuo confirms his departure. In economic policy, Keidanren criticizes the Biden administration’s pending Nippon Steel decision as a company executive travels to Washington to try to save the deal. In security policy, the Self-Defense Forces will be sending a soon-to-be aircraft carrier for flight operations tests in San Diego. Finally, articles looking at where candidates stand on the Bank of Japan and the abductee issue and a long read on how the LDP runoff could unfold. Plus: Japanese pitchers face off in Los Angeles tonight.

LDP leadership election

Katō Katsunobu speaks to the press as he announces his candidacy for the LDP leadership. Screenshot by author.

Katō Katsunobu announced his candidacy for the LDP’s leadership on 10 September. The former chief cabinet secretary under in the Suga government and a deputy chief cabinet secretary and minister of health, labor, and welfare under the second Abe government is the eighth candidate to enter, with two days until the official start of the campaign.

In his remarks, Katō prioritized economic policy, reflecting his experience as a domestic policymaker. He unveiled an income-doubling target as part of what he calls his “Nippon Total Activation Plan,” although he admitted that income doubling could take ten or fifteen years. On the whole, his program is heavily redolent of Abenomics, talking of using fiscal stimulus, tax reform, regulatory reform, and strategic investments to create a virtuous cycle of rising incomes and private investment, while also incorporating some of the Kishida government’s additions, such as the focus on mobilizing private savings. He also pledged what he calls a “three zeros” policy for child-rearing, eliminating fees for school lunches, medical care for children, and labor & delivery fees.

Reflecting both his experience and voters’ priorities, he had relatively little to say about foreign policy beyond continuing the broad strategy articulated by Kishida and his predecessors, though he did say that he would seek a summit with Kim Jong Un in pursuit of a resolution to the abductions issue between Japan and North Korea. Although Katō is popular within the parliamentary party, he has marshalled virtually no support from the LDP rank-and-file, suggesting he enters the race with very long odds of success.