Vaccine chief Kono favorite to become next PM: polls

Oh No, Lord help us.

えええええええええええ！

そうですか

I think its better than suga but but not better in general

Suga is being fired mainly for his lack of effective leadership on the Covid crisis. Now Suga to replaced by his minister for Covid?

Only in the LDP do they promote you for incompetence!

the man who releases the UFO team force is now the favorite....

This bodes well for Kono as the LDP are likely to want to win back public support more than worry about internal affairs. Abe's choice is a red flag and would likely reduce election results

Taro Kono, come on down! You are the next contestant on Musical Prime Ministers.

A poll consisting of only LDP supporters perhaps?

Wasn’t it alluded to last winter that Kono was given the responsibility of the vaccination program, knowing it would fail and his chances of moving up thereby diminished?

Everyone, but not Kono!

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/01/19/commentary/japan-commentary/coronavirus-vaccination-japan-taro-kono/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210205/p2a/00m/0na/034000c

Kono belongs to the Aso faction so his actions will basically be in deference to Aso. Kishida on the other hand has already stated publicly that LDP reform is on his agenda so he's an outcast within his own party. Now that Ishiba has stated that he won't run, all bets are on Kono so that Kishida won't be able to follow up on his LDP reform. Just because Kono can speak English doesn't mean he's going to be the leader Japan needs, I've seen him in press conferences where he was the complete arrogant, arse. Either way, these guys all bleed LDP.

Kono, Takaichi, Kihida, Ishiba or whoever is rumored, they are birds of a feather because they all belong to the LDP.

Voters need to take this opportunity to vote in a new party. The LDP has done nothing for Japan, fresh perspective is needed and perhaps a view from the younger generation with women

What this country needs is a change of the one state party rule,let Edano give it a try.

Kono might be the less bad apple from the LDP but still he’s one of them.

If not being able to vaccinate the population of Japan is a prerequisite for a new PM then Kono is the next one up!

Kono isn't bad. He is well liked by international standard.

Just because he may be liked by the people polled does not mean he will win the LDP election. This is not an election by the people, remember when Koike ran for Tokyo Gov? The LDP didnt want her as their top pick, because there was another member of the LDP who was "next" in line.

Same here, Kono is fighting against factions within the LDP and must have at least 20 diet members supporting him.

Release the ぬいぐりみ and silly masks!!!

Just because he may be liked by the people polled does not mean he will win the LDP election. This is not an election by the people, remember when Koike ran for Tokyo Gov? The LDP didnt want her as their top pick, because there was another member of the LDP who was "next" in line.

Same here, Kono is fighting against factions within the LDP and must have at least 20 diet members supporting him.

Exactly. I'll be shocked if he gets to be PM. He's not a member of Nippon Kaigi. No way he'll be chosen.

Locked up, press releases like this cement

Oh good.

The joker that screwed up the initial vaccination distribution.

I think Japan is better off with no leader at this point.

It can’t get any worse than the last few years of terrific leadership, can it?

MUST be repeated:

NagoyajinToday 06:29 am JST

Suga is being fired mainly for his lack of effective leadership on the Covid crisis. Now Suga to replaced by his minister for Covid?

Only in the LDP do they promote you for incompetence!

"Prime Minister Suga, you have failed to meet the COVID crisis so we're going to put the guy in charge of that failure in your place!"

Takaichi Sanae as PM, of all of the candidates suggested, would be a good place for Japan to begin modernizing its politics and, perhaps, moving beyond the serious governmental handicap that is its male politicians...

And so saying, I expect the baseboards to be alive with critics...

Don't be fooled by English proficiency, colorful ties and masks, suspenders, and his use of Twitter. He is quite the reactionary with a short temper and a real hang-up about how the order of Japanese names should be in English print (cause that is an issue that matters to so many -- sigh). Furthermore, why he has always made his posts about the vaccine roll-out seem like a competition with other countries has been disappointing. As an Aso puppet, he will get little if anything done. Luckily for us here in Japan, the PM matters very little most of the time and life will go on as usual. And let us not forget his most recent accomplishment--making sure that durian is imported into Japan. Sigh. In the end, the media here will eat him up and show him for who he truly is and he will likely be in office for less than a year.

This is good. He has lived outside Japan and speaks English well. Someone with a knowledge of 外国 is a good thing for Japan.

Well I guess anyone is better than Suga, not the best reason to choose but hey this is Japan

I just have a strange feeling he won’t last beyond 2 years.

Japan, where the electorate are conned into believing a change of LDP leader before an election and subsequent voting in of the new man, means that they have voted for change.

Only voting the LDP out will allow the possibility for change.

@no

Well I guess anyone is better than Suga, not the best reason to choose but hey this is Japan

Choosing the lesser of 2 evils, or "vote ___, no matter who" is the reason we're stuck with the barely cognizant President, Joe Biden in the USA. It never solves anything, and only makes problems worse.

As is customary in Japan, the survey did not provide a margin of error.

Most curious part of this story.

Why would such a thing be customary in Japan?

Japan is really in a dark place if this american stooge wins.

With Ishiba bowing out, it's just him vs Ishida vs Edano now. Really scary future.

I think Japan is better off with no leader at this point.

At least we ought consider what we expect from politicians.

I can’t understand why something as important as vaccinations has been left in the hand of central planners.

Were if left to decentralized independent decision makers (you all and I) I think we’d all be as vaccinated as we are prepared to pay for by now.

Nothing will change in Japan politics. LDP will remain in power. "Old men club" will rule even if a fresh younger face is the front. Factions & backroom kingmakers rule. It's cultural. Even during Koizumi days thing remain about the same even with so much "reform' talks & excitment.

Surprise surprise.Does anyone even remember that we also have a Minister of Health? Surprise, right? Yes, we do. And who put this clown Kono in charge of vaccines anyway? Why wasn't the Ministry of Health in charge? I kinda wonder if, if he is "elected" PM and the LDP's main figure, if there will also be a numbers game like now when it comes to any statistics. He will always tweet out some stats and graphs saying how great we are doing and immediately get back at him saying the stats are not based on truth and give him the real ones, including the source. Until recently he was putting out stats with how many people we've already vaccinated. Then a break for a while and the next time the number of people vaccinated was already lower than before.

It's just another dinosaur that won't change anything. Especially since his entire family is or was active in politics.

Well, technically most polls do not seem to feature non-LDP candidates, so...

Pray tell, why would an internal LDP election for party president ever include any non-LDP candidates?

The respondents made their choices based upon the CURRENT alignment of the Diet, which the LDP with it's coalition partner, Komeito, currently control.

The party election will be held prior to the general, lower house, election. So whomever IS elected will automatically become the PM.

Few days ago, I commented that his incompetence makes him eligible to be the PM of Japan.

Sometimes it’s too sad to be correct.

Why is it that so many people who are commenting here making comments like this is a general election and not an internal party issue?

Oh wait, right, my bad, those comments were made by people who have no idea about how Japanese politics work. They fail to realize their ignorance is showing!

Taro Kono, come on down! You are the next contestant on Musical Prime Ministers.

100 points for The Price is Right reference.

I think this is too much responsibility for any one person to do regardless of how supposedly capable Kono is. I do not favor Kono as vaccine minister no.

But i do think that making Sanae Takaichi prime minister could be possibly a very good direction for Japan.

And especially if Japan wants to gain more respect from the international community as a modern society thats sincerly willing to put its past behind and become supportive and respectful to gender equality , equal rights and respectful to foreigners and other's belief systems and the environment.

Whoever elected, the next premier will have to focus on nothing else but corona policy including an exit strategy. The interim goal is to keep the majority in the upper house elections scheduled in next summer (not the upcoming lower house elections as the ruling LDP is still likely to survive despite its declining popularity).

Hand-picked to ram through vaccine passports?

I think he is the best choice. Not that any of us have a say in that matter! Don't forget he's pushing to phase out fax machines. Kono could be the progressive leader that Japan desperately needs.

Popular opinion doesn't matter. The people do not pick the PM. They barely even pick the "elected" leaders. The government is decided by a small group of families and oligarchs.

He have also done a horrible job on the vaccine, creating so much red tape such as limiting vouchers to wards/cities where few normal people are able to access vaccines even today.

Taro Kono, failure to run out a competent or even coherent vaccination program, is a taste on what's to come if elevated to the high chair of office.

What is Taro Kono policies, economic, employment, Covid, social care, demographics/depopulation?

The electorate already have sight of Taro Kono stab at the vaccine program.

Where is the opposition to this ruling government?

It is like watching a coffin warp.

Well, you seemed to have missed out that the "current " alignment of the Diet has been the LDP being in power for, like, 70 years. 

Blanket statement but not correct! Close but not 100% (Seeing as how you are knit-picking and cherry picking, I will return the favor) You "missed" on that point.

As such, it would be so much of a fresh new breeze to see a poll asking whether the public could as much as "consider" a non-LDP PM as "some point" in time

You seem to think that the public matters, in effect they dont, not when it comes to choosing the PM. You also seem to not grasp the system here and how PM's are elected.

Kishida on the other hand has already stated publicly that LDP reform is on his agenda so he's an outcast within his own party.

Uhm, no. Kishida is Nippon Kaigi. Nippon Kaigi old school boys don't change.

Only in Japanese politics is a 58 year old man hyped as the youth option, and a breath of fresh air!

At least the man has an ounce of charisma. Ive seen him on TV, and Japan could definitely do worse.

Interesting to see the litany of negative comments. I would have thought his policy views and lack of certain connections would make him preferable to the others in the running.

Frankly, gintonic. yes I do!

Taro Kono.

https://japan.kantei.go.jp/97_abe/cabinetlist2/daijin/kono_taro.html

I an sure, gintonic that you are fully aware of Taro Kono CV record in government?

Please don't suggest Taro Kono has been politically sleep walking, in a sort of cryosleep only to wake up when Suga announced his resignation.

If that is the case, Taro Kono should have thrown in the towel too.

Where is Taro Kono leadership manifesto?

Each Leadership candidate should be presenting publicly a declaration of policy and aims, there platform and programs for reforms and change, every sector.

Or what the flip are we voting for????

This country is messed up if this is clown is the best option.

Guy mitigated an utter disaster with the vaccine roll-out. He'd screw up a cup of coffee I bet too.

Back to revolving door PMs I see.

Takaichi Sanae

Yep, because ultra -conservatives who mingle with the local neo nazi group leadership gain respect from international community and espouse equality and respect to foreigners. Why dont you Google a little bit about Takaichi, who she keeps as company and the "values" she has.

Yes, the one thing we know about Japan is how BROAD the spectrum is between 'conservative' and 'liberal' in Japanese politics. An advantage of her election would be to open the door for other talented women and, perhaps, help to discourage the 'old boy' monopoly which so many seem to find disagreeable but offer no alternatives. Here is one.

"neo nazi" seems a bit of hyperbole and Mr Taro is solidly Corporate which is as close to "neo nazi" as anyone needs minus the 'shaved heads' that American CEOs have turned into a parody of the fascist.

Ms Takaichi has as much, at least, experience in American politics as Mr Taro and her Congressional mentor could not have been more fortunate for her than Pat Schroeder who is a hoot and whose Wikipedia entry is well worth reading and will give one an idea of the politics she learned in America and "neo nazi" it was NOT:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Schroeder

Mr Kono, on the other hand, worked for Alan Cranston who was sued for his translation of "Mein Kampf" (um...) and was reprimanded by Congress for being involved in a bank scandal. He then went on to work for an Alabama Republican.

If she were elected, we might also see some 'push back' on the lapdog relationship between America and Japan and a more independent attitude regarding what is good for Nihonjin and Nihon rather than just what is good for the U.S..

But she has one major flaw, her gender. Well, not so much her gender as the fear that her gender strikes in the hearts of 'traditional' males. Sad that Japan would prefer mediocre to extraordinary but that is the nature of conservatism.

OH GOD! Nooooooooooooooooo!

Oops, called Mr Kono 'Mr Taro' twice. His given name somehow brought up the memory of 'Hiroshima Taro', a local celebrity of my city of cultural adoption, and I was apparently thinking of that "Taro" as I typed. My apologies...

Fluent in English means what???.

Suga put Kono as vaccine minister to eliminate him from competition. Kono should win.

Same age as the headmaster at SMIS and both graduated together. I personally think this a plus for Japan and the international community as well.

Having a fresh leader is important for the Liberal Democrats ahead of an upcoming general election that must be held by late November.

Other than Jacinda Ardern from NZ (which Kono potato is not in the same league ) a change to leadership this close to an election is generally considered a Bad Idea. just shows how far down LDP has come

This just shows that the LDP is not ready to Govern another term. The opposition party is looking better and better.

Refraining from voting if you have the rights to vote is a mandate to let LDP Govern.

just shows how far down LDP has come

come down from where?? They've always been garbage.

This just shows that the LDP is not ready to Govern another term.

they weren't 10 years ago 15 years ago, or EVER for that matter

The opposition party is looking better and better.

they always have.

Outspoken but underperforming.. in fact he did very little about vaccination except to put blame on others.

@Gooch: Hopefully, yes - it it means we can travel in/out Japan again without Quarantine.

Western educated, speaks English well. had lived outside Japan. That's great. But at the end of the day he still has to do things Japanese style. Dictated by LDP World.

I'd like to see Yukio Edano, 57, of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan,

step up.

He has consistently been a voice of common sense,

in regarding most issues concerning the people of Japan.

@blue in green: Not a chance with Suga gone - Once this internal LDP vote is out the way , whoever wins will get a nice honeymoon period for the General Election.

@WilliamBjornson

Well granted her experience under Schroeder in her youth might have been a good experience. But like Xi Jiping hanging out in Iowa as a Uni Student. Age and life change people's views. She has clearly went hard right and is an Abe Protege. Very Anti-LGBTQ Very Pro Constitutional Revisionism and all other things Nippon Kaigi granted she couldn't do worse so why not give her a shot.

Kono is too arrogant and will have to kowtow to Aso and others that are backing him.

Kishida is saying the right things actually leads a moderate wing of the LDP but his faction isn't big enough even though he's Nippon Kaigi but his eagerness to be PM is a red flag but in terms of lesser evils in the statements they have made about Covid strategy etc he seems ok doubtful he will follow through. Aso screwed Kishida over last year because he suggested giving 300000 yen to families in stimulus. Aso acts like the money they are giving away is from his own pocket.

Said "Kishida is a leader for peacetime no war time." Like any of these chickenhawks are haha.

Yeah ideally CDPJ and Edano would win the next general election but my faith in this Japanese electorate is gone. All the bungling and and they keep going back to their abuser the LDP.

Kono is about as good as it gets from the LDP (which is not saying much). He's not an insane ideologue like Abe and seems reasonably pragmatic.

Its encouraging to see that Takaichi, who IS an ideologue like Abe is getting almost no support at all.

I don't know how long you have been here @Foreigner In Tokyo - but since I've been here there have been 6 non LDP PM's - 3 of which lasted more than a year, the longest at 1 year and 196 days, and that was by a stretch. No decent opposition here, never has been. Its like putting Boris Johnson vs Corbyn, or Reagan vs Mondale everytime...

Kyodo News agency showed nearly 32% of the 1,071 respondents said they preferred Kono as the next prime minister, with former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba trailing with 27%. Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, the only person who has announced their candidacy, was third with 19%.

This is a Waseda vs Keio match between two Keio candidates and one Waseda (Kishida.)

The reality is, the likelihood of a opposition Government are close to zero.

A majority of potential younger generation voter (18 to 30) fail to register any political allegiance

So this election for the next LDP President will produce the next Prime Minster.

Kono is a policy free zone, what does he stand for, what is his plans for the economy, climate change, education?

We know his performance in managing a vaccination program is appalling failure.

Kono is a career Politician yet with all that experience under his belt he does have a single identifiable policy. Not one.

If this is the best, can you imagine what the worst looks like?

If the public dont have an opinion as to who the next prime minister will be then why is it being called a democracy in Japan ?

Democracy means ruled by the people.

Doesn't that go against what the Japanese constitution states in article 13 ? And article 21 ?

Iam not a politician obviously but it seems like Japan is really a dictatorship that's masquerading as a democracy.

The fundamental rights and freedoms of being a democratic society don't apply in Japan ???

Somebody please clarify this for me .iam not understanding the Japanese process seems false.

Good at self promotion and covering his own back. Should do well.

Not a single candidate has produced a comprehensive strategy, or economic policy, any recognizable social security agenda, no policy for industrial development, Nothing. Zero

This is the very definition of one dysfunctional government being replaced or appointing another potential dysfunctional government , literally shuffling/rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

There is no coherent Covid policy. I know silence is golden, but Kono is mind numbingly incompetent.

Japan is really a dictatorship that's masquerading as a democracy.

Japan is an oligarchy ruled by several political families masquerading as a democracy. I'd say it is operated most similar to that of elective monarchy with a council of nobles.

It would be impossible for Japan to get democracy anyways as there are deep rooted loyalties to the regional political families. It doesn't really matter how unpopular politicians are on a national level, they can always count on the unshakable loyalty from their represented region. People not from political families and without heritage are simply not seen a legitimate to rule and thus would never be elected.

blahblah222Today  07:15 pm JST

It doesn't really matter how unpopular politicians are on a national level, they can always count on the unshakable loyalty from their represented region.

I don't think most of the constituents show unshakeable loyalty, even in LDP strongholds. A lot of them just don't bother to vote, and with the fragmented opposition it's easy to win with pluralities under the first-past-the-post system, which only really works properly when there are just two parties. I give Japanese people more credit than to assume they're all willing serfs for LDP masters.

Japan is not a dictatorship.

The people of Japan, at least my acquaintances, family, friend etc have little or no interest in politics.

The elder family members are a different matter.

It is bread and circuses.

Taro Kono is the sanest one out of insane ultranationalists in Japan.

Japanese style democracy what a bunch of baloney.

Of course foreigners don't understand how the system works and neither do the Japanese.

Circus is right !

Democracy in Japan what a joke

Very funny, a man that abuse his family and gives excuses at inappropriate excuses favorite for next Prime-minister???.

@william bjornson

In your trashing of Kono's mentor Alan Cranston, you said Cranston was sued for his translation of Mein Kampf. What you omitted was that he was sued by Hitler, who had his own sanitized translation, with antisemitism deleted.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Cranston

Cranston was a leading Democrat who worked his whole life for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

If Kono will become Japan's Cranston we will be in luck.

Nearly every person in Japan: the LDP can't possibly choose anyone worse than Suga as the next PM

Kono: hold my mask