The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the country’s largest opposition party, heads into its Sept. 23 presidential election divided over its future direction, with its list of potential candidates being party veterans and past leaders — and mostly male.
With an eye on a general election, which is likely to be held after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s successor takes office, the next CDP leader will be expected to unify different groups within the party and cooperate with other opposition parties in a way that results in more seats at election time.
Current CDP leader Kenta Izumi, 50, who was elected in 2021, is expected to seek a second term after making cooperation with the Japanese Communist Party on the fielding of candidates the hallmark of his three-year presidency. That approach was welcomed by some members as necessary in order to not split the opposition vote in district elections.