Who would you like to see replace Shinzo Abe as Japanese prime minister

Almost ANYBODY!

Readers, specific answers please. Name someone.

Sakamoto Ryuichi

Ozawa

A real progressive who will champion foreigners' as well as women's rights while getting the economy back on track.

The best choice in my opinion would be Noriko Hama.

No one for the foreseeable future. I support Abe and he's a strong leader and good salesman for Japan. I actually agree with most of his policies except two (nuclear power and raising the consumption tax again next year).

But he can't stick around forever. I don't see any of the current crop of politicians doing any better. It's too bad the DPJ dropped the ball when they got into power in 2009.

In future, I really would like to see someone from the private sector become PM, maybe Hiroshi Mikitani from Rakuten or Yoshito Hori, the president of GLOBIS University. But unfortunately, they cannot get elected as independents. They'd have to join the LDP or DPJ where they would have no faction of power base.

I wonder how the DPJ's Renho would do as PM.

By the way, Aly Rustom, it is unrealistic to expect a PM to champion foreigners' rights. I can't think of any country in the world where that would be high on the agenda of a candidate for PM or president (and rightly so). But Noriko Hama would be an ideal candidate, as well. Except she, also, has no power base.

and that is the problem. there is no one that can provide the leadership to replace him at the moment which enables him to basically ignores the majority public opinion. the only reason he is postponing raising taxes is to stay in power.

Moderator: Sorry but we are asking readers to suggest names. Otherwise, Abe-bashing is just pointless.

Brainiac, I agree that no one in the gov is going to bring up foreigners' rights but we can always hope that the next PM will, not because its politically expedient, but that it is dire for japan's survival. We do need a progressive in office; and I think we also need a woman. So many countries in Asia now have female leaders. Renho will have problems do to her (Taiwanese father?) heritage. She's not PURE enough for the racists in the LDP. Hama would really clean up the nation, but like you said she has no base. Another good option would be Yukiko Kada, and I also think that Katsuya Okada is decent as far as establishment candidates go. Realistically speaking Okada may be the only one who can beat Abe.

This is the quandary: there are so few "decent" leaders (everyone hates Abe here, but at least he's been capable enough to serve out his entire term, the only other leader besides Koizumi to do this in the 25 years I've been here). Japan's leadership is so bad, everything will go to crap the minute someone else get in.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Kazuo Shii. In my opinion (despite the party name), the JCP is a bona fide opposition party and a real alternative to the LDP and Komeito!

Ryoko Tanaka, or Ken Watanabe

Noda Seiko. Also agree with Michael Craig, despite the name (the party, not Mr. Craig's).

Renho. Or someone else who has an internationally receptive mind; one that doesn't push Japanese uniqueness in a world that is so interconnected as the one we are living in - even Japanese people are living in.

Shigenobu Nagamori (NIDEC), Masayoshi Son (Softbank), Tadashi Yanai (Fast Retailing) or another political outsider who is successful and well-known in the business world.

Renho.

Up until the allegations of misconduct leading to his resignation,Akira Amari, the former minister for economic revitalization. Hitherto there is still no official investigation into the toxic dealings of a semipublic housing agency over public works contracts, and land disputes.

Koizumi. He had a lot of faults, but he has been by FAR the only leader in Japan in the past 20 years worth a spit, and that's still not a very high bar at all.

I'd rather have Katsuya Okada as Prime Minister, not because he's especially inspiring but because he could hardly be worse than Abe and his crypto-fascist clique.

I see no one has even suggested a woman. No reason it can't be Ryoko Tanaka. And if Reagan could be the US president there's no reason it can't be Ken Watanabe either. A man globally respected. Looks like I'm the most progressive person on this thread

I see no one has even suggested a woman.

?? Renho, Noda Seiko, Yukiko Kada, Noriko Hama have all been mentioned?

Hi Cleo, dare I mention former Trade minister Yuko Obuchi, touted potentially as Japans first female PM until sinking under a political funding scandal.

Becky. Or Noriko Sakai.