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‘Hereditary politics’: Japan’s Kishida accused of nepotism for appointing son as executive secretary
- Critics have suggested that Kishida is laying the groundwork for his 31-year-old son to be his eventual successor
- Shotaro Kishida, already a member of his father’s staff, will join a small group of staffers that follows the prime minister everywhere
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is facing accusations of nepotism after he appointed his inexperienced son to be his executive secretary, a move some critics say may pave the way for the younger Kishida to inherit his father’s parliamentary seat.
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Shotaro Kishida, 31, was appointed on Tuesday, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno saying in a press conference that he had been selected for his “personality and insight”. Matsuno insisted officials had been motivated by “the idea of putting the right person in the right place”.
Shotaro, the prime minister’s eldest son, had been a secretary in his father’s office since March 2020. He previously worked for trading house Mitsui & Co.
The decision comes just a week after the government held a controversial US$11.5 million state funeral for ex-leader Shinzo Abe.
Tuesday also marked exactly one year since Kishida became prime minister. After a relatively positive first few months in office when his public support rate exceeded 60 per cent, his popularity has been on the decline.
Revelations over the number of members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) with links to the Unification Church have dented Kishida’s support.
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But the most significant impact on his plummeting approval figures has been his insistence on the elaborate – and expensive – memorial service for Abe, who was shot dead at an LDP rally in July.
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