In the race for the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Shigeru Ishiba has gained support among older voters, while Shinjiro Koizumi has captured the youth vote, according to a recent opinion poll conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun.
The nationwide poll asked respondents who they believed would be the best choice for LDP president. Ishiba emerged as the top choice, with Koizumi coming in second.
Among those aged 60 or older, Ishiba garnered 28% of support. However, his popularity dropped among younger age groups, with only 13% of those aged 18 to 39 and 22% of those aged 40 to 59 backing him. On the other hand, Koizumi received strong support from younger people, with 27% of those aged 18 to 39 favoring him.
Sanae Takaichi ranked third in the poll and saw her strongest support from individuals aged between 40 and 59. She received backing from15% of that group.
When it came to gender breakdowns, Ishiba was favored by an almost equal number of men (21%) and women (23%). Koizumi had support from22%of men while Takaichi had13%. These figures were4to6points higher than their respective levels of female support.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa ranked fifth in the poll but received twice as much support from women (8%) compared to men.
Respondents were also asked why they believed a particular candidate was suited for presidency. Among those who backed Ishiba,88%said he was trustworthy -the highest percentage for any candidate-while80%said he was enthusiastic about reform.Ishiba officially announced his candidacy on Saturday and seems to have strong name recognition among voters who praised his willingness to criticize government policies.
For Koizumi supporters,the most common reasons cited(87%)were his personalityand skill at communicating messages effectivelytothe public.His status as sonof former Prime Minister JunichiroKoizumialso contributedtohis imageas astrong communicator due to frequent media appearances.
Takaichi’s supporters(81%)highlighted her personalityand enthusiasmfor reformas their main reasonsfor choosingher.Kamikawa’s graspof international issueswas themost frequently cited reasonfor supporting her.Takayuki Kobayashiwas often backedforhis enthusiasmin reformand refreshing image.
When asked which issues they wanted candidates todiscuss,the highest percentage(29%)cited economic policy.Another23%citedpension systemand other social welfare issues;13%citedproblems relatedtomoneyin politics;and12%citeddiplomacyand national security.
Prof.Kazuhisa Kawakami,a political psychology expertfromReitaku University,stressedthe importanceofcandidates clearly presentingtheir plans.“Witha possible early dissolutionoftheHouseof Representativesanda general election,”he said.“Party memberswill likelybe watchingpublic opinion polls,voting fora party presidentand prime ministerwhothey think will helpthepartywin.”