Is Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi eyeing the top job despite his aloof image and low support ratings?

Following a flurry of international trips, the secretary general of Japan’s ruling LDP could be boosting his credentials for a shot at the leadership

Analysts agree Motegi has extensive diplomatic experience but also point out weaknesses such as ‘a lack of warmth and empathy’ connecting with voters

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Analysts point out that Motegi has a number of weaknesses, such as rubbing fellow politicians and bureaucrats the wrong way and an aloof image among the public. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 9:30am, 12 May 2023Updated: 12:25pm, 12 May 2023

Toshimitsu Motegi, the influential secretary general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has made headlines in recent months for a flurry of visits to foreign capitals, leading to growing suspicions that he is burnishing his diplomatic credentials as he considers challenging Fumio Kishida for leadership of the party and, at the same time, the post of prime minister.

During Japan’s “golden week” holiday, Motegi travelled to Mexico and Havana, where he met Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. More significantly, he visited Washington and had talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his deputy Wendy Sherman, as well as National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

Toshimitsu Motegi meets US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in Washington on May 1. Photo: Kyodo

Officially, the visit was to lay the groundwork for the Group of Seven leaders’ meeting in Hiroshima next week and to discuss other issues of bilateral concern. Back in Japan, however, it set tongues wagging that the former foreign minister and minister of trade, economy and industry has his eyes on the top job.

Motegi did nothing to dispel such chatter while he was in the United States, batting away a question about his intentions when the LDP next votes for party leader in the autumn of 2024, saying: “I think it is good to be just as I am now and to let as many people as possible know who I am and what I am like.”

Analysts, however, are unconvinced that Motegi has what it takes to wrest the leadership away from Kishida, or to fend off challenges from other potential candidates.

While analysts concur that Motegi – who heads the Heisei Kenkyukai faction whose 54 members make it the third-largest group in the LDP – has extensive experience, they point out that he has a number of weaknesses, such as rubbing fellow politicians and bureaucrats the wrong way and an aloof image among the public.