Shinjiro Koizumi, the former Environment Minister, is gearing up to officially announce his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency. Despite his limited experience in government, he remains a top choice among the public for the position of prime minister.
If Koizumi officially declares his bid, he will become the second LDP politician under the age of 50 to enter the leadership race, following Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, who announced his candidacy recently.
At 43 years old, Koizumi is following in the footsteps of his father, Junichiro Koizumi, who served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006. He inherited his father’s Kanagawa Lower House seat in 2009 after Junichiro retired from politics, solidifying his place in the realm of Japanese politics.