Survey: Takaichi Deemed Most Suitable Choice for Next PM;But Koizumi More Popular Among Supporters of LDP

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:05 JST, July 23, 2025

Sanae Takaichi, a former economic security minister, was deemed the most suitable choice as Japan’s next prime minister in a nationwide poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun, with 26% of respondents backing her.

The survey, conducted Monday and Tuesday, asked respondents who they thought would be best to lead the country if a government led by the Liberal Democratic Party were to continue. After Takaichi, Shinjiro Koizumi received 22% of the vote, while Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba received 8%.

Those who opted for “no one” stood at 14%.

When broken down by political party affiliation, Takaichi was the leading candidate among opposition party supporters, but Koizumi was the top choice among LDP supporters.

Takaichi and Koizumi were nearly tied among unaffiliated voters, 22% of whom chose Takaichi while 23% picked Koizumi.

Respondents were asked to select one lawmaker from a list of 10. Among LDP supporters, Koizumi received 32% of the vote. Ishiba followed with 15%, with Takaichi just behind at 14%.

In the multicandidate LDP presidential election on Sept. 27 last year, Koizumi was among those who lost to Ishiba. However, in a survey conducted from Sept. 13 to 15 — not long before the election — Koizumi was the top choice among LDP supporters when they were asked who was the most suitable to be the next party president, polling 24% compared to Ishiba’s 23%.

In the latest survey, among opposition party supporters, Takaichi ranked first with 36%, followed by Koizumi at 16% and Ishiba at 5%, while 17% opted for “no one.”

The LDP and its coalition partner Komeito now hold a minority of seats in both chambers of the Diet, which means that cooperation from opposition parties will be essential for them to manage legislative proceedings.

Among supporters of each opposition party, Koizumi was the top choice for supporters of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, at 32%. Takaichi was the top choice for 52% of supporters of the Democratic Party for the People, which increased its number seats in the upper house election. Takaichi was also the most popular among Sanseito supporters at 46%.

Through the lens of gender, Takaichi was the top choice among men with 32%, and Koizumi was the top choice among women with 27%. By age group, Takaichi was the most popular among those aged 18-39 and 40-59, with 28% and 34% support respectively. Koizumi was the most popular among those aged 60 and above, with 28%.

When asked about the policies and issues they would most like the next prime minister to prioritize, with multiple answers allowed from a list of 10 items, “measures against rising prices” was the most common response, at 88%.

This was followed by “pensions and other social security” at 78%, “diplomacy and security” and “education and child-rearing” both at 73%, and “politics and money” at 68%. “Policies on foreigners” ranked eighth at 54%, indicating a low priority.

For those who named Takaichi or Koizumi as the best next prime minister, the top priority was “measures against rising prices.” However, for those who chose Takaichi, their second priority was “diplomacy and security,” while for those who chose Koizumi, it was “pensions and other social security.”