September 16, 2025
TOKYO – Sanae Takaichi, former minister in charge of economic security, was deemed the most suitable choice to be the next president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun found.
The survey, conducted on Saturday and Sunday, asked who is most suitable for the post of LDP president among the eight former candidates in the previous election in September 2024. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the current LDP president, who announced earlier this month that he will step down, was excluded from the choices.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents picked Takaichi, while Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi landed in second place with 25%. Former LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi and former digital minister Taro Kono tied for third place with 7% each, followed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi with 6% and Takayuki Kobayashi, former minister in charge of economic security, with 3%. Fourteen percent of respondents said they had no particular choice.
Among LDP supporters, however, Koizumi emerged as the first pick with 33%, while Takaichi lagged behind with 28%. Kono remained in third with 9%, followed by Hayashi with 8%, Motegi with 6% and Kobayashi with 5%. Four percent of respondents did not make a choice.
Asked about the reasons for their pick, with multiple answers allowed, 85% of all respondents who supported Takaichi answered that she has the will to make reforms, 74% said they have high hopes for her policies and 73% cited her vision for the nation.
For Koizumi, 89% said he has the will to make reforms as the top reason, while 88% chose his ability to convey messages and 84% picked his trustworthy personality.
The survey was conducted by calling 754 home landlines and 1,843 mobile phone numbers selected via random digit dialing. From the numbers called, 1,043 gave valid answers, with 420 coming over landlines and 623 over mobile phones. All respondents were eligible voters ages 18 or older.