Tokyo and Beijing make nice | This week in Japanese politics

Japanese and Chinese officials talk in Tokyo, Beijing, and Laos, no LDP candidates yet, and Japan's population shrinks as the number of foreign residents surges

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The rundown

The would-be Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidates continue to signal their interest in running, but no one wants to move first. In the meantime, the LDP committee that will oversee the leadership election has new members and will soon set the rules for the contest. Meanwhile, Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) leader Izumi Kenta is planning to run for reelection and is meeting with other opposition leaders to discuss coordination before the next general election and possibly in government after an election. The Kishida government announced another increase in the minimum wage as it tries to boost real incomes, while the prime minister promised new legislation to promote semiconductor manufacturing. Finally, senior political and government officials met with Chinese officials as Tokyo and Beijing try to stabilize their relationship, while Defense Minister Kihara Minoru was in London to reaffirm cooperation on a next-generation fighter. Plus: a full agenda for the upcoming US-Japan 2+2 meeting.

LDP leadership campaign

LDP Secretary-General Motegi Toshimitsu joins a conversation on the US presidential election on Nippon TV. Screenshot by author.

LDP Secretary-General Motegi Toshimitsu indicated that he is weighing whether to run in the party leadership election and said that he will decide whether to run by early September. He said in a TV appearance on 22 July that he is consulting with friends but will not be the first to throw his hat into the ring. In the meantime, Motegi will travel to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines from 28 July as he tries to showcase his diplomatic skills.

Ishiba Shigeru said on 21 July that he is aiming to make a public announcement about his intentions for the leadership election by mid-August, after the Obon holidays. In the meantime, he convened the fifth meeting of his study group, with twelve members of the former Ishiba faction in attendance, on 22 July.

Speaking to the press on 26 July, Kobayashi Takayuki, the former economic security minister who has emerged as a favorite among younger LDP lawmakers, hinted again at the possibility of running for the LDP’s leadership in September, stating that he is striving to “aim high” as a politician. Kobayashi is a long-shot candidate, given low name recognition and a shorter resume compared to his rivals.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa, meeting with supporters in his Yamaguchi constituency, said that he was resolutely committed to the Kishida government’s work and supporting Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s bid for another term, but did not deny the possibility that he would seek the LDP’s leadership in the future.

The new members of the LDP’s election administration committee were confirmed on 26 July ahead of a meeting in early August to determine the schedule and rules for the LDP’s leadership election in September. The new membership of the committee attracted some criticism, both for its inclusion of several Kishida allies and for its inclusion of two lawmakers who nominated Takaichi Sanae in 2021 but who will be unable to nominate her this year due to their membership on the committee.